Dragon Protectors
by Teefa and Co
Summary: AU BoF III. After Angel's Tower, Nina loses her memory. Now, she and her new friend must find the lost members of the Dragon Clan, and reunite them. RyuNina, with some ReiMomo, TeepoOC, and several OCOC. COMPLETE
1. Surprise Attack

Surprise Attack  
  
"Momo?" questioned little Nina, "When do you think Ryu and Garr will return? They've been gone for an awfully long time. Do you think something has happened to one of them?"  
  
"Don't worry too much. I'm sure they're just wrapped up in the search. Ryu will come back soon. Then, we can all go back home, at long last," the scientist replied.  
  
Not that Nina really wanted to return to her home. Her parents always treated her like she was a baby, they never let her do anything. If ever she asked, her mother would say, "You are a princess, Nina. Therefore, you must always behave with grace, elegance, and poise."  
  
Nina longed for freedom. That was one of the reasons she accompanied Ryu on his trip to Angel's Tower. That and the fact that she didn't want him to leave her alone again. Besides, he was her best friend, and she would do anything to help him out. Even if that meant running away from home, traveling to a distant land that she had never seen or heard of before, in order to discover the secrets of a long dead race that he just happened to be the last surviving member of.  
  
At that moment, Garr came out of the Tower. But Ryu wasn't with him. Nina ran towards him with amazing speed. "Garr, where is Ryu? What has happened to him? Tell me."  
  
But Garr said nothing. Instead, he left towards the west. The Guardian didn't look back at his friends, nor did he speak. All the three could do was to stare as he walked away.  
  
"Something happened," Nina cried, "Ryu must have been killed inside of the tower." She ran into Momo's arms, and the child began to cry. Peco joined in as well. Momo too shed tears, but she didn't let them be too obvious. Or else Nina would never calm down.  
  
"We must make camp for the night. Tomorrow, I'll bring you back home to Wyndia. I'm sure once you're with your parents, you will begin to feel better," she consoled the child.  
  
Nina thought, 'No I won't. They'll probably think it's Ryu's fault that I left home. They won't try to help me feel better at all. I'll probably end up feeling worse. I wish I wasn't a princess, then I could go out and do my own thing, see my friends, and talk about my pain with them forever, not until I return to my parents' and my duties as the heir to the throne. Ryu, why did you have to die?'  
  
Her questions were unanswered. No one could tell the young girl what she needed to know. Only Nina could ease her own pain. And that would be a difficult task indeed.  
  
* * *  
  
It was difficult to fall asleep that evening. Even Peco stayed up late, looking depressed over what happened to his friend. But he eventually went to sleep, with Momo not too far behind. The only one left up was Nina, who didn't know how she could sleep after such a horrible event.  
  
She remembered how the two had met. Balio and Sunder had attacked him, and caused him to transform into a Dragon. Thinking they could make some fast cash, they decided to sell him to her father. But he'd become a boy again, and they started hitting him. All three were locked up, but Nina knew that Ryu was innocent, just a kid they were picking on. She came to save him, but the two Stallions had convinced her that they would change if she let them go. Then, they kidnapped her, looking to ransom her off to her parents. It had been Ryu who had saved her, and she was in his debt ever since.  
  
No matter what happened, Ryu always protected Nina from harm. His powers had defended her life on more than one occasion, and the only person ever to defeat him was Garr. Oh, Balio and Sunder had beat him up three times, but after that, he was able to give them back all the pain they'd given him. Not many people would be willing to risk their lives for her, unless they were working for her father, or getting a reward in the process. Ryu did everything out of the kindness of his own heart.  
  
Such a sweet and kind boy. Hard to believe he was from a race that once tried to destroy the world. It puzzled Nina, who had taught him to be so kind, if his parents were among those who were killed in a war before they could do something really wicked?  
  
But none of that mattered now. Ryu was gone. Nina was left all alone again. As a princess, she had no friends her own age. Only people who would play with her in order to get something out of it. Only Ryu had treated her like a human being. Well, so did Momo, Peco, and Garr, but Ryu was the only person her own age. Now, she was going to grow up a depressed young woman.  
  
Nina sighed. "I need to clear my mind. I'll just take a short walk and get away from the camp for a little while. What could go wrong? There aren't many monsters around here."  
  
Nina got up, and walked away from the camp. She was heading in the direction of Urkan Tapa, where she hoped to get a glance at the torches from the temple. The light they radiated was warm and calming, but Nina had a strange feeling about them.  
  
"So, the Destined Daughter walks alone without fear," a female voice stated, "How foolish of you. My servant was a fool to take on the Destined Son, and get a little bit beat up for it. But he doesn't have half the power I have, and your full power is sealed until the Time of Destiny. Now, you will die, and I will finally have attained victory over the scorned Dragon Clan, before they revive to destroy the world."  
  
Nina wondered what the voice was talking about. Destined Daughter, what was that? And who was the Destined Son? Could it be Ryu? If that was the case, and they were both destined for some task she couldn't fathom, was he still alive? And what did she have to do with the Dragon Clan, besides being the best friend of its only survivor?  
  
But she didn't have long to think. The powerful Myollnir spell hit her, electrocuting the young princess on the spot. Nina fell to the ground, and remembered no more.  
  
- - - -  
  
Here's my little AU. Basically, I thought about what we were told in Dragnier, how some members of the Dragon Clan sealed themselves away underground after conceiving a child. Got me thinking that maybe Ryu and Teepo aren't the only Dragons left in the world. So this is all about the search for those dragons. 


	2. Lost Memories, New Friend

Lost Memories, New Friend  
  
Nina woke up in a bed in the town of Urkan Tapa the next day. She held her hand to her aching head, and realized that she didn't know where she was. Not only that, but she didn't remember a thing about her past. Who was she, and where did she come from?  
  
"You're finally awake," the doctor stated, "Good, I was getting worried. Lucky the guards at Angel's Tower heard some sort of powerful magic being cast, and investigated."  
  
"Where is this? Who am I? And where do I come from?" she inquired.  
  
The doctor told her, "I don't know who you are or where you come from. But you are now in the town of Urkan Tapa. We are the home of the chosen people who eliminated the Enemy of God."  
  
Nina was confused. "Enemy of God? Which god, and what enemy?"  
  
"We never say the name of our god or our enemy," he said, "It is slanderous."  
  
"What will you do with me? I have no where to go now," she complained.  
  
The doctor informed the child, "We have an orphanage in this town. You will be sent there later on today, once you have eaten, and gotten dressed in some better clothing."  
  
* * *  
  
After having some breakfast and putting on a new red dress, Nina headed to the orphanage. She looked over the faces of the other children, and saw them seemingly backing away. The child didn't know exactly why, but she heard many whispers, among them "outsider" and "might be a demon".  
  
The headmistress glared at them. "Now children, this is Nina. She will be joining us today. Please, be nice to her. Remember, God will punish you if you don't behave."  
  
But that threat did little more than to keep Nina from being picked on. As the day went on, she was just ignored by the other children. The usually happy girl was starting to get depressed.  
  
"Hey, Nina," called out a young girl's voice, "Do you want to play with me?"  
  
Nina looked around. There, she saw a young girl who was about her age - - eight-years-old. She had long green hair and eyes, and wore red clips in her hair. The girl was wearing a black dress, and black shoes. In her eyes, Nina could see a sign of relief, and happiness at her being there.  
  
"Sure, I'll play with you. What's your name?" she asked.  
  
The girl replied, "My name is Helen. I'm so happy that someone finally wants to play with me. I've been here for nearly a year now, and everyone just ignores me because I'm an outsider."  
  
Nina realized that was what the others were calling her. "Why would that be a reason to ignore you and me? We're all just kids, what could we have done to be scorned by them?"  
  
"This is a very religious people," Helen stated, "They believe that their ancestors won a war over the enemies of their god over 400 years ago. But one of the warriors who fought in the war still believes that the enemy will return one day, so he didn't go to sleep like the others. So these people worry that the evils of the past are going to come in order to get revenge on their people. But I still have no idea why they believe that we would be demons. If we were, wouldn't we kill them now instead of waiting?"  
  
"Helen, how about you and me stick together from now on? We're both different from them, and they don't want to play with us. So we'll just play together," she suggested.  
  
Helen inquired, "What do you want to play? Tag? Dress Up? Hide and Seek?"  
  
Nina thought for a moment. "How about Dress Up? It's no fun to play the other ones with only two people. Who knows, maybe if they see how nice we are, they'll want to play with us."  
  
* * *  
  
But the other children never did get used to Nina and Helen. They still treated the two girls like they were outcasts. Not that it bothered either of them. As long as they had each other, they were able to have some kind of fun. It wasn't to bad being only two, there were many things they could do.  
  
Helen had told Nina her story shortly after they'd met. She'd woken up in an old mine nearby, among a dead group of spelunkers about a year before. Most likely, two of them were her parents. Like with Nina, she had lost her memories in the accident. After escaping the trap, she'd limped into town. Then, the orphanage took her in. But the other children scorned her for being different and of unknown origins, and she'd had been all alone until the day that she met Nina.  
  
After they got to know each other, they found out how similar they really were. Like Nina, Helen was an attack mage. But her spells were slightly different. She could use the first and second level of the fire, ice, lightning, earth, wind, and wind/fire spells. Nina, on the other hand, didn't know magic from every element, but instead knew some level three spells, as well as some assistance magic. But for some reason, neither could learn one another's magic.  
  
Nearly two years passed since the two had met. Both girls were approaching their tenth birthdays, Nina's coming one week before Helen. Although the other children were just ignoring them as usual, the girls had decided to have a small celebration together, just like last year.  
  
When Nina woke up on her birthday, she found something was different. She seemed to have a new weight on her shoulders, literally. The young girl looked in the mirror, and saw something strange. On her shoulders, was a pair of beautiful white wings. Although she didn't exactly know what clan she was, this didn't help her any bit. Only the Winged Clan had such wings, but their size had been greatly reduced since ancient times. A full grown adult was lucky to have wings this size, but hers would most likely grow with her over the next few years, until they were even more graceful.  
  
"Nina," Helen stated, "Those wings are really pretty. You're so lucky."  
  
But Nina didn't feel any better with her friend's comment. It just brought her to wonder who she really was. If she wasn't of the Winged Clan, then where did she come from?  
  
- - - -  
  
Why does Nina have wings like this you ask? It's part of the story. You'll have to read on to find out why? And what's with the magic being unlearnable, she could learn it ok from Masters in the game? Well, Masters have a certain power to enhance their students with powers. Nina and Helen are not Masters. Without a Master, you can only learn spells that are in your Clan's list. Here's the list of spells that Nina and Helen can use. Basically, think of them at Lv. 99, and having learned all the spells.  
  
Nina: Gust, Frost, Jolt, Simoon, Blunt, Weaken, Iceblast, Slow, Typhoon, Lightning, Drain, Leach Powder, Blizzard, Sirocco, Myollnir, Escape, Warp (both added due to the fact that you have nothing to be able to do that with in the game), and a secret spell that is added in later chapters.  
  
Helen: Flare, Frost, Jolt, Tremor, Gust, Simoon, Fireblast, Iceblast, Lightning, Quake, Typhoon, Sirocco, and another secret spell that is added in later chapters.  
  
All spells are race related. I actually based it on the spells of Ryu, Teepo, Nina, Rei, Momo, as well as characters from the other games to make a chart on what spells are for each Clan. 


	3. Helen's Origin

Helen's Origin  
  
Everyone noticed Nina's wings quickly. One of the priests began calling her a Holy Child, destined to become a Guardian of the Goddess. He insisted that she was to begin training in the art of spear usage and strength, against the day that the enemy returned to reek havoc again.  
  
After that, the children all began to trust Nina a little more. Upon finding her to be a Guardian, they began to suck up to her, hoping to get something in return. But Nina remembered how they had treated her in the past, and didn't fall for it. The only person who was treating her nicely because they were friends, was Helen. For some reason, Nina felt the situation was familiar, as if she'd encountered it some time in the past. Although she thought that her friend back then was a boy instead of a girl.  
  
Even though she had to begin her training at once, she still found time to spend with Helen every day. The young girl felt that a person should always remember who their real friends were, or it could cause him or her grief one day. So she begged some time off in order to just be a kid.  
  
As the day of Helen's birthday approached, she inquired if she could get the whole day off, so she could help her friend celebrate. The Patriarch was more than happy to oblige, he knew that Nina had a good heart and soul. She didn't want to leave her best friend alone, as the other kids were still leaving Helen out of their games, unless it was directly in front of Nina, and they wanted to make a good impression on her in order to get something out of her in the future.  
  
* * *  
  
When Nina woke up on Helen's birthday, she saw her friend was already awake. Not only that, but she was gone from the room. But for some reason, something felt wrong to her. Screams of "demon" and "monster" rose up from all corners of the town, and Nina wondered what was going on.  
  
"Guardian Nina," a priest stated, "One of the evil ones has broken into town. You must save us. Guardian Garr is not here, so you are our only hope. Let God's blessing be with you."  
  
Nina grabbed a spear and ran out. She followed the trail of fear to the outskirts of town. There, she saw a small gray Dragon, fighting off a group of monsters. It used its Whelp Breath, and eliminated them. When it turned around, it saw Nina and panicked. The creature feared being killed by the warrior, and began to back off. She wondered why it feared her, with all of its power.  
  
Thinking it to be the demon, Nina readied her spear. But then, she heard a voice in her mind calling out to her. "You must not kill the Dragon, it is your destiny to fight alongside her in the coming battle. Head to the old mine with the Dragon, all will be answered there," it said.  
  
Nina found she could believe the voice. She dropped her spear to the ground, and went over to the Dragon. Then, she picked it up in her arms. The child told her, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Let's go, ummmmmmmmmm. . .Draggy. I think I can find our answers in the old mines."  
  
* * *  
  
Once at the mine, Nina put the Dragon down. They then began walking until they discovered a large chunk of Chrysm in the shape of a Dragon. Suddenly, the statue began to glow. Before them, a young woman appeared. She was in a long black dress with black dragonic wings on her back. Her hair was green, and her eyes were red. The woman smiled at the young girl. "Welcome, Queen Nina."  
  
"Queen Nina?!" exclaimed the girl, "Why did you call me Queen? I'm just a simple girl."  
  
"You are the Destined Daughter, the reincarnation of the first queen of the Dragon Clan. Our king and queen return every time the world is in danger. We wondered where you were when the Urkans and their Goddess, Myria, tried to eliminate us. Now we understand, our king and queen were to come together when the war had been forgotten, and we could revive the clan," she told Nina.  
  
Nina asked her, "How did the Dragon Clan come to be, if it wasn't created along with the other Clans at the dawn of time? And how can I be your ancient queen?"  
  
The woman took a breath. "A long time ago, a clan of nymphs learned to summon gods. The world was covered in desert back then, and was split in two by the Sea of Mud and a large lake. Now, the Western Empire tried to emulate it, when a war had broken out between the East and West. But they only managed to get half a god. Half a goddess came down much later, and was trapped in a suit of armor. 400 years passed since the summoning, and the god's other half came down. He met a young Winged girl, and she tried to help him find himself. Eventually, both halves had to face one another. The one met by the Winged girl won the battle, and they became one. But he released his powers, as well as that of the other Dragon Gods. All of the man's friends and allies became the first members of the Dragon Clan. The former Winged girl and the Dragon became our king and queen. But a scientist began turning people into gods as part of an experiment. Our king was one of the victims. That was when he sent a clone of himself- an avatar that made it easier to enter the human world-along with the soul of his wife into Zephyr. For every war that erupted throughout the world, they were reborn to fight in it. Starting with the part when the other half of the summoned goddess came into the world. That goddess was Myria - - or Tyr - - and her other half was Dies - - or Bleu."  
  
"So, what about the baby?" wondered Nina, "If she is a Dragon Clanswoman, how come she is trapped in the body of one of her transformations?"  
  
"It is a state she entered in order to protect herself. This child is in fact my daughter. I will help her return to her human form," she stated.  
  
Magic left the woman's body. The baby Dragon began to glow, and form into a human's shape. When it died down, Helen stood where the whelp had been only seconds before.  
  
- - - -  
  
I told you Helen had a secret skill. The skill was Accession. And I wrote the longest paragraph ever in order to connect Breath of Fire IV to Breath of Fire III. In my belief, the order the games occurred in was 4, 1, 2, 3. Four is the beginning of the Clan, and the others tell the tales of its future battles. I don't know where 5 will be on the timeline until I play it 


	4. Dragon Protectors

Dragon Protectors  
  
The only difference Nina could see in Helen was a pair of gray dragonic wings on her back. Other than that, she was the same girl that Nina had known for two years. She smiled at her friend.  
  
"Thank you for believing on me," Helen whispered, "I thought you wouldn't recognize me as a Dragon, and would kill me. You were readying your spear for the attack."  
  
"It wasn't her fault. The Urkans wanted you dead, and Nina has lost her memory of the distant past, where she was the Queen of Dragons. She must now find the lost Dragons, and reunite our Clan, as well as free her king. My daughter, you must help her," begged the woman  
  
Helen asked, "What can I do? I barely know my own powers, let alone how to use them. What use will I be if Nina has to go head to head with those who want me dead?"  
  
Her mother shook her head. "You have all the power you need. From me, you were granted the magical powers of the Dark Dragon Clan. From your father, you gained the wisdom and humaneness of the Light Dragon Clan. With both those strengths working together, you can defeat any enemy. Helen, there is no need for you to desert your friend in her time of need."  
  
"I wasn't going to desert her," whined Helen, "I was just surprised that you asked me."  
  
"Good, then I want you to head to the Yrrall Region. There is a forest there called the Cedar Woods. There, you must make a base to house all of the Dragons you find. I feel a Dragon in trouble near that area as well, you must help him," begged the spirit.  
  
Nina quipped, "We won't fail you. We'll find the missing Dragons, and revive the Clan." With that, she and Helen left the mine. They began their journey towards the Yrrall Region.  
  
* * *  
  
Once there, they headed to Cedar Woods. As they searched, they discovered a burnt out treehouse, which they thought would be just perfect for their base. But they didn't spend much time fixing it up. Helen learned from a woodsman named Bunyan that a beast had been spotted on Mt. Glaus.  
  
He looked at the Dragon Clanswoman. "Over two years ago, there was a Nue that lived there. Three youths killed it by themselves, a Woren and a pair of humans. Two of those kids are dead now, the other one left for the city. They're the ones who used to live in that treehouse. But I'm getting off topic. Now, there is another monster on the mountain. From what I heard, it seems to be some sort of lizard."  
  
"A Dragon?" asked Helen, "Could it have been a Dragon?"  
  
"Who knows? I've certainly never seen a Dragon in my lifetime. Heck, no one has seen a Dragon in his or her lifetime. They were supposed to be killed off years ago," he replied.  
  
With that piece of information, the two women headed towards the mountain. There, they found a black whelp, fighting off Curs. It appeared to be holding its own pretty well.  
  
Nina called, "Dragon, I am Nina, your Queen. Come back to your human form, I am here to help you. Please, if you keep this up, you might get someone trying to hunt you and kill you."  
  
The Dragon turned to her. He transformed then into a young man wearing animal skins with purple hair and red eyes. "Sorry, I'm just trying to get by. I've been living here ever since I got caught stealing some food from a house in Wyndia. My powers are the only thing keeping me alive now."  
  
"What is your name young Dragon?" asked Helen, "Are you Light or Dark Dragon?"  
  
"Dark Dragon. Or at least I think that's what the vision said. I do attack magic as well as the sword. And my name is Teepo. What are you called?" he inquired.  
  
Nina thought, 'Teepo, where have I heard that name before? It sounds so familiar, as if I knew someone in the past with that name, or someone in the past held the name important.'  
  
Helen shook his hand. "Let's go to town. We have plenty of gold from all of our monster battles on the way here from Urkan Tapa. As well as whatever you acquired on the mountain. How about we all get some new clothes, and think of what to do next?"  
  
* * *  
  
In town, all three of them went to the clothing store. Nina purchased a short - - but not slutty - - red skirt, a red tube top, and red shoes. Helen was now wearing a short sleeved black dress about the same length as Nina's skirt, along with gray breeches and black boots. Teepo had gotten black tunic with red breeches, gray boots and gloves, and a silver belt with rubies holding it up.  
  
Then, they went back to Cedar Woods. All three of them began to fix up the treehouse, so it could be livable, as well as hold any new Dragons they might find. But for some reason, Teepo looked a little depressed about being there. He cleaned up his section of the house, and didn't talk to either of his new friends. Nina and Helen got a little worried.  
  
"I lived here once," he informed them, "Me and my foster brothers, a Woren and a human. Both of them were killed by some members of a vicious gang, and I luckily escaped using my powers. I then left for the city of Wyndia, thinking they might have survived and headed there, as we all wanted to go there when we hit it big. But not only didn't I find anyone when I got there, I got in trouble for stealing some food. So I headed to the mountain, and survived as a Dragon."  
  
"I'm sorry Teepo. But we must be strong. Only we can save our Clan from being destroyed. Nina is the reincarnation of our first Queen, and she's going to bring us back to what we once were. Hey, Nina, what do you think we should call ourselves?" inquired Helen.  
  
Nina thought for a moment. "How about the Dragon Protectors? Our mission, to save the members of both Dragon Clans, before the last Guardian can eliminate them. This might take years to accomplish, but I know the three of us will be victorious."  
  
- - - -  
  
And Teepo joins the group. What will happen next? And about Teepo and Myria, You don't know exactly when she found him. It could be any time between his disappearance and the Adulthood Saga. So I decided to make him join up now. He has the same skills as Helen, he only had less in the game because nobody expected him to get to a high enough level to learn more stuff. So here's the magical difference between Light and Dark Dragons. Light Dragons use Healing Magic, while Dark Dragons use Attack spells (i.e. Ryu's magic, and the list I made for Helen). Nina uses her spells from the game. I also developed a Gene list for all the characters. Here's what we have so far. . .  
  
Helen(Nina's age): All five elements, Force, Defender, Eldritch, Reverse, Trance, Failure  
  
Teepo(a year older than Nina): all five elements, Force, Defender, Eldritch, Reverse, Miracle, Thorn, ???  
  
Now, each character will get a special Dragon form, different for each character. Helen and Teepo's forms utilize a Gene they won't find until later. But everyone else has their special Gene from the start. They also have all their Genes from the start, don't have to find them like in the game. Ryu included, when we get to that part of the story. I'll give you a list for each character met in a chapter. I'm not writing all five elements anymore, because each person has all of them. And clothing stays the same throughout. Well, I'm not creating fifty outfits for several characters. Anime characters can wear variations of the same clothes for years (*cough* *cough* Slayers *cough* *cough*). I'll just give you the basic clothing for each character, which will be the same unless otherwise stated in the text. Probably the only change will be when Nina and Helen start wearing heels when they grow up. 


	5. Wolf & Dragon

Wolf & Dragon  
  
Two years have passed since the Dragon Protectors formed. The treehouse is now all fixed up, and much bigger. Teepo had talked to Bunyan, who was shocked to see the boy alive. Apparently, he was one of the two who was supposed to have died. Upon learning that his younger human brother was still alive, and had headed for Wyndia, the young Dragon went there to find him. But he must have left for another city, as no sign of the youth had been found. Teepo was not giving up hope though.  
  
"I believe in Ryu," he told Helen one day, "If he survived the battle, and headed to Wyndia on his own, he'll make it through. The kid was pretty good, although he had no taste for battle."  
  
"Well, maybe we'll find him one day while we're searching for the Dragons," Helen added.  
  
* * *  
  
One day, Nina headed to Wyndia for some shopping. She frankly didn't like going to McNeill, as the prices were a bit high, due to the rotten mayor. So, as the fastest member of the group due to her ability to fly, she was often running errands to the city. The selection was better there anyway.  
  
But on the way home, a large wolf attacked her. The creature was completely white, like the wolves from the north. This shocked Nina, how did a creature like this get to Mt. Myrneg anyway?  
  
She called out, "Myollnir." The lightning knocked the creature backwards, and it didn't get up. Nina turned to walk away from the beast, knowing it was no longer a threat.  
  
Suddenly, she felt a strange attack hitting her. It felt like darkness was covering her, so she turned to face her foe. Then, Nina saw the wolf was getting up. But it was no longer alone.  
  
Another wolf had entered the scene. But this one was pretty different, and also quite strange. It was gray, with a white underbelly. Large gray Dragon wings were on its back, as was spikes. There was a horn on its head, and its eyes were a shade of red not found on normal animals.  
  
Nina looked at it closer. "Are you a Dragon? Please, you must listen to me. Although I look like a Winged Clanswoman, I am in fact the reincarnation of the Dragon Queen. Our people must band together in order to protect ourselves from the last Guardian. Come with me, we are not alone anymore."  
  
The wolf seemed to understand. She then changed back into a young girl, two years older than Nina. Her hair was long and black, and her eyes were a cat- like gold. On her back was a pair of silver Dragon's wings. As far as clothing goes, she wore a skirt, shoes, and tube top made out of gray fur. There was also a cape made out of white fur. Attached to her skirt was a wolf's tail.  
  
"Greetings, Nina Queen of Dragons," she stated, "I have been expecting you for some time. My name is Casey of the Dark Dragon Clan. My partner there is Demon, sorry if she scared you. Demon is a little overly friendly, and doesn't know that people don't share her style of play. Hope I didn't hurt you, I was just trying to protect her. We've been together for some time now."  
  
"How did a white wolf get all the way down here in the first place?" questioned Nina.  
  
Casey replied, "You see, I was born in the mountains far north. I terrorized some trappers while in my Whelp form, thinking they were out to hurt me. Both Demon and me were kidnapped at that time, and were being sent to a zoo. Together, we managed to escape. She's raised me ever since. Been about five years since it happened. We've been in hiding together, always fighting monsters for meat. But recently, I received a vision in my dreams, that told me of the Queen of Dragons coming to visit me."  
  
Nina began petting Demon. She wasn't that scary, now that she knew her. Demon was enjoying the attention, and rolled around on the floor like a little puppy. The young girl laughed at this. "It's amazing how such a fierce creature can be this playful. So, who did you see in this vision? The only ones I saw were from my friend's mom, and she didn't come in a dream. She was able to come when I was still awake, in a moment where I almost did something pretty stupid."  
  
"I saw a young man who was shrouded in mists," she admitted, "He was pretty muscular, and tall to boot. And he said, 'I am the King of Dragons. You must be ready, the revival of our clan is at hand. My Queen will soon be here to see you, listen to what she has to say. And tell her not to worry, I am perfectly safe where I am. Eventually, we will be able to find each other, she must be patient until then.' Then, I saw a woman in the mists too. She walked over to the man, and they linked hands. I noticed that there were two large wings on her back, but they didn't look like a Dragon's. They were more like those of the Winged Clan. As I stared ahead, the two walked away together."  
  
"Did he say his name? Or drop any clues to his whereabouts?" demanded Nina.  
  
Helen shook her head, and answered, "Sadly, he didn't. It looks like we'll have to wait until fate steps in and decides to send him back to us. How about we head for home then. I'd like to see where the other Dragons are living. It'll be good to have others like me around."  
  
* * *  
  
Nina found Helen and Teepo playing chess when she got home. Helen was quite skilled at it, but Teepo could barely hold his own. And Nina wasn't much better herself. Without a decent challenge, things were quite boring for Helen as well. She was getting tired of always kicking their butts all the time. They only played the game with her because it gave them something to do.  
  
Teepo looked up, and saw Nina and Casey. "Hey Nina, who's your new friend?"  
  
"Her name is Casey," she replied, "A Dark Dragoness. And the wolf is Demon, her partner. Casey, I would like you to meet Helen and Teepo, my two friends."  
  
"Well Casey, welcome to the group. I'm sure we'll all get along just fine. Hey, do you know how to play Chess? If not, I can teach you. I'm always winning at it," Helen told her.  
  
Casey replied, "That would be wonderful. Thanks Helen. I'm sure I'll like it here."  
  
- - - -  
  
Heh, new character. I created an even number of Light and Dark Dragons, as well as Males and Females. Casey's stats are right here...  
  
Casey (two years older than Nina): Force, Defender, Eldritch, Mutant, ???, Feral (her unique) 


	6. Boy of Shadow

Boy of Shadow  
  
One day, Casey and Nina were out shopping at McNeill. There had been some nasty rumors about the mayor hiring out a monster to guard his house, and the girls wanted to see if it was true. While they took care of this, Helen and Teepo were checking out the road, hoping to find an agent from the criminal syndicate that McNeill partnered with coming this way. Through that, they were looking to find out who exactly sent the people that killed Teepo's older brother, and caused him all the grief.  
  
While the two girls were walking down the street, someone bumped into Casey. She fumed at this, nobody pushed her around. And she turned to tell the stranger just that.  
  
"Hey!" she yelled, "Watch where you're going you big oaf! You could hurt someone."  
  
Nina looked at the man. He seemed to be about Casey's age, and had brown eyes and short black hair held up with a gray bandana. His breeches were gray, and his tunic was black. A brown belt with a golden buckle was around his waist. The boots on his feet were black, and he had a gray sheath on both arms, with a dagger inside of each. A sour glare was on his face.  
  
"Why don't you watch where you decide to stop? I'm in a hurry, and don't need some little girl getting in my way. Go skip rope or something kid," he demanded.  
  
Casey screamed, "I'm no kid! You're not much older than me bucko. Who are you to start saying such rude things to my face? I'll take you on here and now if you want."  
  
The man shrugged, and turned away. "If that's the way you want it, meet me outside of the McNeill manor after dark. We'll settle things then. Bring your little friend, you're going to need someone to pick up whatever pieces are left of you after I'm through." Then, he left.  
  
"Same to you, jerk," called Casey, "Let's get going Nina, we'd better get ready for tonight."  
  
* * * "Are you crazy Casey?! You could get badly hurt out there, and the only Light Dragons we have are either Helen, who is half Dark Dragon and knows only attack spells, or Nina who has yet to awaken. What were you thinking challenging a stranger to a duel?!" exclaimed Teepo.  
  
Casey inquired, "What, do you think I should just let those remarks slide? He insulted me just for being a girl. If it makes you feel better, all of you can come along. Watch what I can do."  
  
So that was how four young Dragons - - or Dragons sealed in a Winged body, same thing - - and one over eager young wolf ended up at McNeill manor late that night for the battle. The youth was sitting on a tree stump, looking quite pleased with this turn of events. "I would like to applaud your efforts, I didn't think you'd have the guts to show up tonight. Before we start, I would like to know your name, just so I can put a name with a face when I add you to my long list of kills and beaten up morons. I'm an efficient assassin, that's why McNeill hired me to guard his mansion for him."  
  
"Casey," she stated, "My name is Casey. And these are my packmates, Nina the Winged woman, Teepo, Helen, and the wolf Demon. We stick together through thick and thin."  
  
"Did you say you work for McNeill?! That slimebag, let me at him," demanded Teepo. He would have rushed forward too, if Helen hadn't grabbed onto his shirt before he did something stupid.  
  
The boy replied, "Casey, that's quite a pretty name. You may call me Crest, the greatest assassin in the known world. Now, you will die by my hand." He unsheathed his daggers in one motion. If you looked at it from a neutral point of view, it was quite impressive to watch.  
  
If this wasn't a duel, Casey would have transformed into a Dragon right away. But she believed in playing fair, unless her enemy decided to cheat. That was one of the major differences between the two Dragon Clans, Light Dragons wouldn't even cheat if their lives were in danger due to enemy Treachery - - only if there were others at risk too - - but a Dark Dragon would copy their enemy's patterns, fair play for fair play, cheating for cheating. Since he hadn't cheated yet, all Casey could do was to bring up her clawed gloves into the attack position. Even Demon was banned from the fight.  
  
Crest laughed. "Claws, what weak weapons. They are no match for my daggers." He charged her, but Casey was too smart. All of her time fighting on Myrneg had done her some good. She dodged the attack with relative ease, and managed to scratch the assassin across the back.  
  
"Don't underestimate me," she told him, "I've fought all of my life, so there's no way I can lose."  
  
"You're good, I'll admit that. But not good enough girly. I too have fought all of my life, and know how to survive on the battlefield. And now, I will show you my true power," stated Crest.  
  
He then began to concentrate, and light surrounded him. When it cleared, a tall humanoid Dragon stood in his place. It was gray with red eyes, and was wearing a black jumpsuit.  
  
Casey yelled, "A Dragon! I'd better change too, or else I'm done for."  
  
But before she could do that, Nina stepped forward. "Crest, member of the Dark Dragon Clan. It is I, Nina, the long awaited Queen of Dragons, come to reunite my people. Listen, you no longer need to serve McNeill, your people are willing to welcome you with open arms to our home. We need all of the help we can get, if we're to live through the coming storm."  
  
Crest then turned back into a human. He looked at Nina, and suddenly remembered a vision he'd had involving a Winged girl and a Dragon man. They had called themselves the King and Queen of Dragons as well. The young Ninja Dragon instantly knew she spoke the truth.  
  
"I guess I'll go with you," he stated, "But we're going to have to do something about McNeill. He might try to kill me for betraying him. We have to take out his power, or we could all be dead soon."  
  
"How about Teepo, Nina, and I head to Syn City to take out the syndicate that we found out was located there? Then, you and Casey head to Rhaphala in order to hide out until the storm passes. With luck, nothing bad is going to happen while we're fighting," suggested Helen.  
  
- - - -  
  
Rhaphala. I already ordered what events are going to happen, just need to put them into chapters and add other little pieces where I find we need to. Here is Crest's information.  
  
Crest (two years older than Nina): Force, Defender, Eldrich, Miracle, ???, Stalker (his unique) 


	7. Ocean of Trouble

Ocean of Trouble  
  
Due to Casey's knowledge of every hidden tunnel on Mt. Myrneg, they found their way to Wyndia in no time flat. Then, the duo had to contend with the Eastern Checkpoint. After all, how would a girl in animal skins, an assassin, and a rare white wolf be able to get clearance from the king?  
  
"I've got an idea!" exclaimed Casey, "We're going to use our Warrior forms to soar over the chasm, away from the bridge. I'll bet no one will be able to spot us, and if they do, they'll be too afraid to give chase. After all, only Guardians have the strength to take on Dragons."  
  
"I guess we can, we've nothing better to do. But what about White Fang over there? She can't fly at all, unless one of us managed to overlook knowing how to become Tiamat," he stated.  
  
Casey told him, "I'll carry her. She's not that heavy, I've done it plenty of times. And her name is Demon, not White Fang. Leave her alone, or I'll leave you behind." She glared in his direction.  
  
The two flew over the river, and were not spotted at all. Soon, they arrived at Rhaphala. The bustling port was excited over two things at the moment. The first was the wedding being held for the Guildmaster's daughter Shadis and her fiancée Beyd. And the second was all about a young girl named Lorelai. She was trying to surf the biggest wave in the world, one that only appeared once in a hundred years. And this year was the time when it came to Rhaphala, so she was prepping up for it.  
  
While the two Dragons were at the shop, buying supplies for their stay in Rhaphala, they heard someone walk up to them. "Excuse me miss, where did you get those wings? They're not at all like the ones of the Winged Clan, so I was curious. Are you a Dragon or something?"  
  
Casey turned around, and saw a young girl, about eleven years old, with blue eyes and aqua hair tied up in a ponytail. She had on a light blue bikini with darker blue spots. On her feet, she had on brown sandals. But the surprising thing was the aqua Dragon wings on her back.  
  
"Yes, I am a Dragon," replied Casey, "A Dark Dragon to be exact. I take it you are a member of the Light Dragon Clan. There is certainly a kindly air about you."  
  
"You are right. My name is Lorelai, a member of the Light Dragon Clan. I just love to swim and surf, and wish to tackle the biggest wave in the world, the Demon's Spout," she stated.  
  
Crest stated, "Seems like a foolish ambition if you ask me. You're just going to get killed out there. You're just a kid after all, it's too dangerous. Maybe you should just sit this one out."  
  
Lorelai looked down. "Maybe it is. But I'm not giving up. You know that the Guardians will hunt us down when they find out that our kind has survivors. There's no guarantee that I will live much longer if I stay safe. So I'd rather die chasing my dreams than at their spears."  
  
"Crest!" exclaimed Casey, "Let her be. If she wants to do something stupid, then let her find out how dangerous it is for herself. Remember, Teepo's powers protected him from those two thugs, so hers might be enough to combat the deadly force of the Demon's Spout."  
  
"I know Casey. I just can't let a member of our Clan die so stupidly. We can protect the kid from the last Guardian, no problem. Our ancestors didn't use their full power for some reason, but we don't have whatever incentive they did to just commit suicide like that. So, I guess if he decides to show his ugly face at our camp, we can just blow him up or something," Crest told her.  
  
But his words didn't impress Lorelai at the least. She wasn't swayed in her determination to surf the Demon's Spout the next day. The only thing the words did was to show Crest in a new light to Casey. Originally, she had thought him to be a heartless mercenary. But now she saw that the young Dragon was driven by challenges in battle, and had a soft spot in him for kids.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, everyone came to watch as Lorelai readied her surfboard. Demon's Spout was scheduled to come at noon, and she wanted to be ready for when it happened. By eleven thirty, she had positioned herself in the water. Determination shone in her eyes, she would do this.  
  
At one minute to twelve, Lorelai kicked off from the docks, and began paddling out into the deeper water. Suddenly, Demon's Spout could be seen on the horizon. The young Dragoness paddled towards it, waiting to be sucked up in the wave, to feel the greatest exhilaration ever.  
  
She got on her feet, and began to surf. The wave caught her, but she didn't falter in the least. If anything, Lorelai was having fun. Laughter could be heard as she surfed across its front.  
  
Suddenly, Lorelai miss-stepped, and fell. She tumbled into the wave, and the girl was dragged underwater. Everyone wanted to save her, but all were too afraid to challenge the wave.  
  
Crest mumbled, "I knew it was foolish to challenge that wave. Stupid kid, you should have just listened when I told you. Nina really isn't going to like this one."  
  
Soon, a figure came up from the surf. It had an aqua tail that looked to be that of a legendary creature called a mermaid, and the top of its body was that of a Dragon with aqua scales. Instantly, Casey and Crest knew it had to be Lorelai's Dragon form.  
  
She paddled to the surface, and became human again. "See Crest. Even if I wasn't able to stay on the wave for long, I managed to accomplish my dream. And I didn't die either."  
  
"Told you," Casey added, "The Power of the Brood can do some amazing things for survival. Hey, Lorelai, can we stay with you for some time? There's a little problem we're having, and we need to wait for some of our friends to come and pick us up. So we'll be in Rhaphala for awhile. When we leave, we also invite you to join Dragon Protectors with us. After all, we Brood have to stick together."  
  
"I would like that greatly. Casey, Crest, Demon, let's all be friends," Lorelai replied.  
  
- - - -  
  
My endings are getting even cheesier. Here's the data on Lorelai  
  
Lorelai (one year younger than Nina): Force, Defender, Eldrich, Failure, Trance, Ocean (her special). Her weapons will be wands, when and if she ever gets into a fight.  
  
Everyone seems to have Force, Defender, and Eldrich. Ok, not writing them anymore... 


	8. Friend of Dragons

Friend of Dragons  
  
On the Ogre Road, heading to Syn City, Nina, Helen, and Teepo found themselves facing a large tiger monster. It barred its fangs, and showed the youths its claws in a threatening manner. The trio brandished their weapons - - Nina's wand, Helen's Ax, and Teepo's sword - - and prepared for battle.  
  
"Stop the fight," called a new voice, "They're not our enemies brother. I can sense their auras, they're Dragons. If we ask them, I'm sure they'll help us in our fight against Syn City."  
  
A youth of eleven years came running up to them. He had blue eyes and short blond hair. His tunic was blue, and his breeches were white. A yellow cape was around his shoulders, and he had tied a golden cord around his waist. The boots on his feet and the gauntlets on his arms were gold as well. Hanging from the cord was a sheath, with a longsword inside of it, ready to be drawn.  
  
The tiger looked at them for a minute, and then he executed a de- transformation. Now, he was a Woren youth, about sixteen years old, with long blond hair held back by a white bandana. He had on orange pants, and an orange vest. A pair of knives was in his hands.  
  
"Valindo, are you sure these guys are from your clan? They don't look like you," he told the boy.  
  
Valindo stated, "I can feel it, they're all Dragons. Their aura is clearly just the same as mine, even that of the Winged Clanswoman. Besides, the other girl has the wings that the females of our Clan develop, as a result of the mating of a Winged Clanswoman and a Light Dragon a long time ago."  
  
Nina looked at them. "My name is Nina, and I am the reborn Queen of Dragons. The girl is Helen, my best friend. And the boy is Teepo. We're off to destroy Syn City, before some of their goons come after a friend of ours, who got on Mayor McNeill's bad side recently."  
  
"You don't have to worry about us," Teepo began to brag, "I beat up this monster called a Nue several years back all by myself. Then, I single- handedly beat up the ghosts of McNeill's ancestors. And when he sent goons after me, I blew them up as well. Just leave it to Teepo the mighty."  
  
"But Teepo, you said that you had your brothers helping you fight the Nue and ghosts, and that those two thugs beat the three of you up after burning your treehouse," Helen stated.  
  
Nina told the duo, "Teepo likes to brag, but he's got a good heart. He's got to avenge a brother of his who died, and find the one that managed to escape death and head east."  
  
The tiger was eyeing the boy. "Teepo, is it really you? You're really alive? And you think Ryu might be as well? This is great, now those creeps will really pay. When we work together you and I can defeat any enemy that gets in our way, be it Syn City or a mad god."  
  
"Teepo," questioned Helen, "Who is this, where do you know him from?"  
  
"Is that you Rei? You'll never change, still getting into trouble. Me, on the other hand, have went out and discovered my destiny as a member of the Dark Dragon Clan," Teepo bragged again.  
  
Nina told Valindo, "Actually, Helen and I got him to find his destiny. He was just playing Dragon and fighting monsters on the mountain when we met two years ago."  
  
Teepo smiled. "Helen, Nina, this is my brother Rei. Since Bunyan told me he was dead, and Ryu went east, I now know that all three of us must have survived. We've only to find one more."  
  
"So, you're the boy that Rei told me about," Valindo said, "Welcome friends. Stay the night with us, we've got to discuss a strategy for handling Syn City. I won't let another innocent death occur due to the greed of these men. I swear on my honor as one of the Light Dragon Clan."  
  
* * *  
  
"Rei, what happened to you after we were separated? We're apart for four years, and I now find you playing robber on a deserted road with a new apprentice," Teepo inquired.  
  
Rei told him, "After the battle, I searched for information regarding who had attacked us. When I learned where they were stationed, I headed out there right away. But on the mountain nearby, I found a young Dragon, fighting for his life. I protected him, and when he became human again, he asked if I would be his big brother. So I took the kid in, he was only a year younger than Ryu. I guess I was also thinking about my past, and how I met you in the first place, when we were both lost and alone."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When Rei was a small child of about five, a deranged scientist kidnapped him and two other boys. The man was trying to figure out how to release and control a power that the Woren Clan had sealed away many years ago, the power of the Weretiger. For five brutal years, Rei and the others were worked to death, hoping to draw out their powers in order to survive. Finally, they discovered the powers, and tried to hide them. Knowing they would eventually be found out, they planned an escape. Using the power, they broke out of the lab, and ran for home.  
  
But their kinsmen were now terrified of the three, and they were turned away. In despair, they searched for a new home. A year later, they found Mt. Glauss. It looked like a perfect hideaway, until they found the Dragon. The other boys tried to fight it, and were killed. Suddenly, the beast lost its footing, and fell down the gorge. But when Rei went to see what had become of the beast, all he found was a small boy with long purple hair, lying unconscious. He took pity on the kid, and took him along as he searched for a new home. When the kid woke up, he introduced himself as Teepo.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Rei laughed. "I never thought you were the Dragon on the mountain. Didn't even know there were still Dragons until I met Valindo. Doesn't that just beat all."  
  
"Listen," Teepo told the group, "We strike out against Syn City in the morning. I won't let those chumps get away with the insult they showed my brothers and me. Vengeance will be ours."  
  
- - - -  
  
Wonder were I got a name like Valindo? From the same place I get last names, I put letters together and form a name.  
  
Valindo (one year younger than Nina): Miracle, Thorn, Reverse, Life (his special), and he wields a sword. 


	9. Revenge is Sweet

Revenge is Sweet  
  
The next day, the group traveled down the road in order to get to Syn City. Once there, Nina, Helen, and Teepo scoped it out. Rei and Valindo stayed behind, as the guards as might recognize them the two who'd been making a mess on the Ogre Road for some time now, and they'd lose the element of surprise. When the three returned to the meeting place, they gave their report.  
  
"The boss is in the back," stated Nina, "But they won't let us meet with him. So we've got to just bust right in there, and start a fight. There's no other way we can get to the switch."  
  
"Can't we just nuke the whole city with some Dragon power? I'm sure between me, Helen, and Valindo we can deliver a big enough bomb to kill everyone inside," Teepo added.  
  
Nina told him, "No, I would like to avoid civilian casualties. Any member of the syndicate is open game, but if a person runs away, just let them flee. Otherwise, we'll just show them the cruelty of the Brood, and not the real side of it. That'll alert the Last Guardian, and we'll be in deep."  
  
In the end, Teepo agreed to the plan. The five walked right in the city, and drew their weapons. Rei stepped to the front of the group. "Listen up people. My name is Rei, and I've come from the Cedar Woods to extract my vengeance upon those who destroyed my peaceful life with my brothers. Let us through to see the boss, and we won't hurt you. But try anything and you'll die a painful death."  
  
Most of the shop keepers and customers began running away instantly. They'd heard of the Woren and Dragon who were making trouble on the road, and didn't want to have to fight them when they were alone. But now that they had more friends, they were triply sure they didn't want to fight. Rei, Teepo, or Valindo's blades, Helen's ax, Nina's wand, or the magic of the Winged Clan or Dark Dragon Clan quickly dispatched the few fools that stayed to fight them off.  
  
Finally, they came to the switch. Rei hit it, and they headed back to find the boss. But he was long gone, had moved to the North Checkpoint several years back in order to run his empire away from the direct action. The five warriors quickly headed to the Checkpoint.  
  
There, they found Mikba of Syn City lounging about with some expensive wine that his men had smuggled from a foreign province. This angered Rei, here was this man who got whatever he wanted, or else someone died. And he didn't have to lift a finger to do anything, as he had all those lackeys.  
  
"Mikba," demanded Rei, "You're going down for what you did. You messed with the family of Rei of Cedar Woods, and now you'll die. Let's go, Teepo, Valindo. You ladies stay back, this is our fight."  
  
'As if. I feel as if this is my fight as well. What is my past connection to Syn City? I feel like they hurt me and/or my loved ones in the past, but I can't remember when,' mused Nina.  
  
With that, Rei became a Weretiger, Teepo became a Dark Warrior with defensive properties, and Valindo became his special, the Cleric Dragon. In this form, he was yellow, and had wings powerful enough to help him fly a little bit. In fact, the interior of his wings looked almost like they were made of energy. There was no horn on his head, nor spikes on his back, and his eyes were gold and not red.  
  
Mikba exclaimed, "Dragons?! Those beasts still exist. Now I need one, it'll be worth a mint on the Black Market. Come to me, little monsters." He then began to transform into a huge demon with bat-like wings. He had on armor, and a large ax was in his hands.  
  
The group began to fight. But Rei was completely berserk, unable to tell friend from foe. Often, he hit the Cleric Dragon or Shadow Warrior, knocking them down. And neither could heal themselves.  
  
Helen looked at Nina. "We've got to help somehow. At times like this, I curse how my magic was distributed. I got mom's Dark Dragon attack spells, and Dad's Light Dragon strengths - - in instances where the two races divide their power or values. Couldn't I have been a healer who could unleash the full fury of the Brood without a thought to the consequences?"  
  
"I wish I could help too," Nina stated, "I also am an attack mage. And I haven't been able to awaken my Dragon Powers at all, so I can't even fight alongside you at an equal level."  
  
Suddenly, she felt a strange force come over her. Nina's body began to glow white, and a brilliant flash lit up the air. When it died down, the girl had changed. Her once graceful bird's wings were now white Dragon's wings instead. She raised her hand, and cast Vigor on the trio.  
  
Helen took the opportunity to use the Target spell on Mikba. It took effect on Rei instantly, and he could not resist attacking Mikba, and had no more desire to fight his party. That took much of the strain off of Valindo and Teepo, as they'd been beaten up pretty bad.  
  
Soon Mikba had fallen. All turned to Nina, to thank the young woman for a job well done. But they saw her lying unconscious on the ground, with Helen standing over her trying to resuscitate her. The young woman had also reverted back to being a Winged Clanswoman.  
  
* * *  
  
"She probably woke up seeing our plight. Now that we're no longer in any trouble, she's returned to her sleep in order to conserve energy. Her body probably isn't ready for such power to flow through her veins. Looks like her real awakening won't be for some time," commented Helen.  
  
Teepo told Rei, "Carry her back to town for us. You're the strongest of the group, so it shouldn't be too hard for you. Besides, I'm still aching from you trying to kick my butt."  
  
Rei blushed. "That's why I didn't want to use that power a long time ago. I thought I might accidentally hurt you or Ryu when I wasn't myself. Guess I was right."  
  
"Don't ignore your own power," Helen told him, "You need to work with it in order to develop your true strength. And we need all the help we can get if we're to take on Guardians, and protect our race."  
  
- - - -  
  
About Dragon eyes, yes, unless directly stated, they will be red. Red fits their fiery personality, and beast nature. 


	10. Dance the Night Away

Dance the Night Away  
  
Two years have passed since the destruction of Syn City. Rumors about how it happened spread as far away as Junk Town. Many of those rumors involved either demons blowing the city up, or a bunch of drunk thieves accidentally setting off dynamite. None of the Dragon Protectors knew where the blowing up of Syn City came in, as Nina had even forbidden Teepo from nuking it with his powers.  
  
On this day, Nina was heading towards Wyndia. She remembered being told that she was born into a winged body, but she didn't know why her wings were developing at a faster rate than others of her kind. So she decided to get her answers strait from the horse's mouth.  
  
"How can that be?" she asked herself, "Is it because of my imminent revival as the Queen of Dragons? Or does it have some other meaning that I can't fathom at the moment?"  
  
She stopped to make camp by the side of the river on Eygnock Road. Once there, Nina washed her face in the stream. The teen wished she could fish for supper, but she never had been any good at it. Only He was able to actually catch anything, the others kept breaking their lines.  
  
'He?! Who is He?! Someone from my past perhaps? And the others. . .could I be thinking about why I was found in the middle of a field, away from civilization? Maybe we were explorers, or a family heading to a new town. But that can't be, certainly He seems much more to me than my older brother or another relative. From what I'm thinking, He was probably about my age,' she thought.  
  
At once, a female voice called out, "Garth, it looks like we can camp here. I don't think one little Winged girl will try to hurt us. Not that she could defeat your sword if it came to that."  
  
Nina looked up to see two people coming towards her from the direction of Wyndia. One was a man and the other was a woman. Both seemed to be edgy about something or other.  
  
The man had on a black tunic and black breeches. His eyes were red, his hair was a dirty blond color and he seemed about twenty. He was protected by golden chest armor, a golden belt, with two golden side guards hanging down from it. The arm guards and greaves he had on were also gold.  
  
The woman was wearing a short black skirt, black bikini cut shirt, with a black veil over her mouth. Her eyes and hair were brown, and she seemed about nineteen. Golden bands were on each arm, as well as each leg, and she had golden heels on. But the thing that stood out most about her, was the fact that she had golden Dragon's wings with black inner webbing on her back.  
  
Nina looked at the woman. "Are you a member of the Dragon Clan? You know, the Brood?"  
  
"What's it to you?" inquired the man, "If you want to hurt Felina, you have to go through me. My name is Garth, and I just happen to be her bodyguard."  
  
"Well, my name is Nina, and I am the reborn Queen of Dragons. Can't you smell it on me? All of the other Dragons I know can do that. I can help you two out," Nina replied.  
  
Felina exclaimed, "The Queen Garth, I can see it now. I've been waiting some time to meet you Your Highness. Don't worry, we of the Dark Dragon Clan will help you get back to your home."  
  
Nina chuckled. "I'm not lost. I'm just trying to solve a mystery. You see, although I was born into the body of a Winged Clanswoman, my wings are growing at a faster rate than the rest of the clan. So I want to know, if it's because of my awakening or another factor."  
  
"Well, we really can't go to Wyndia now," Felina admitted, "It really was such a nice city when we first arrived. I'm a dancer, and I went there to perform at the inn. Garth came with me, because he's my bodyguard and I don't know if I could survive against mobs of fans, as I wouldn't use my powers in such an instance. But then, we heard that the Guardian was staying at the inn, so we fled before he noticed that we were Brood. If you know a place where we can go, even for a little while. . ."  
  
"You can come and stay with me. I'm reuniting as many Dragons of both clans as I can in a little forest in the Yraall Region. Not only will you be safe, but you'll have more members of your own clan here with you as well. Do you like that idea?" asked Nina.  
  
Felina replied, "It sounds lovely. I would like to see your home Nina. Let's get going Garth."  
  
Garth saluted the young dancer. "Yes ma'am, we'll leave whenever you are ready to go Your Majesty. After all, there's no reason for us to rush you."  
  
"We'll leave tomorrow," Nina told them, "I would like to get a good night's sleep before we head on out again. Each of us will take turns guarding the camp. I don't mind first watch."  
  
"No, Your Majesty. You need your rest. I will take the first watch. After all, I have Felina to protect as well, and she needs her beauty sleep," Garth stated.  
  
Felina whispered to Nina, "He's a little bit macho sometimes, but he's a nice guy."  
  
Nina nodded. "I can see that Felina, he really cares about you too."  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, the three began heading back towards the Yraall Region. Nina lead the party, as only she knew the way. Both Garth and Felina had been born further east from the Urkan Region, and had never traveled to Wyndia before, let alone to McNeill Village or Cedar Woods.  
  
When they got to McNeill, the group went to the store. Felina purchased a black tunic and medium length black skirt there. She figured she wouldn't have much time to do her dancing, and she should dress like a normal person. The same thing had happened with Lorelai two years ago. Nina had got her a sky blue tunic and aqua green breeches so she had something to wear besides her bathing suit.  
  
After all the shopping was done, they returned to Cedar Woods. Both Dragons were introduced to the rest of the group. Everyone got along quite well, although Lorelai and Valindo were beginning to feel quite crushed with all the Dark Dragons around the treehouse. They wondered if Nina would find some more Light Dragons to hang with soon, before some philosophical arguments broke out.  
  
- - - -  
  
Yeah, philosophy of Dragons. They're holding on, but sooner or later there's bound to be one. So Lorelai and Valindo need to keep the odds even. Helen's got the Light Dragon philosophical outlook to counter Teepo, and the two of them were countering Casey and Crest. But with the addition of two more Dark Dragons, now the numbers are uneven, and they need two more partners. Besides, if they had other Light Dragons to talk philosophy with, there might not be an argument in the first place. I can give you the genes now. Remember, the new base age for Nina is 14 in this chapter.  
  
Felina (five years older than Nina): Trance, Melody (her unique) and her weapon is a cloth  
  
Garth (six years older than Nina): Trance, Failure, Bloodlust (his unique) and his weapon is a Broadsword 


	11. The Priestess's Quest

The Priestess's Quest  
  
"Dies?" questioned Nina, "Just who exactly is that, Felina? I've heard her name spoken by several Dragons that I've encountered, but I don't know who or what she is."  
  
"You probably did, before getting amnesia. I've heard the history of the Dragon War from the perspective of neutral clans, including the Winged Clan. She's mentioned in those stories. You see, Dies is a Serpentine Sorceress who aids the Light Dragons in every one of their endeavors," she answered.  
  
Garth added, "We Brood all know more about her than the average person. She is a Half Goddess, who aided our King and Queen in ancient times. Her other half, Myria, is the one who tried to obliterate the Brood. But no one knows why exactly they're on opposite sides."  
  
Nina looked at them. "So, you think she's locked away in the Urkan Region somewhere?"  
  
"In Angel Tower," stated Felina, "She was supposedly locked up by Guardian Gaist during the war. We've got to go there and free her, she should offer us help in our quest."  
  
Nina agreed to take both Felina and Garth with her. She left Helen and Teepo in charge, with strict orders not to leave the forest unless they had to escape from an enemy. Then, the three began to head towards the Urkan Region, using Casey and Crest's trick to get over the checkpoint.  
  
* * *  
  
At Angel Tower, they snuck in when it was dark, in order to avoid the guards. Once in, they headed into the basement where the Dragon's bones were laid out. But no sign of Dies was found. The only thing of importance Nina found was a golden Dragon's scale.  
  
"Nina! That's the scale of a Trygon. It's said that only those with intentions that don't involve the killing of the Brood are able to hold it. Those that want to hurt a Dragon are incinerated. But if you are willing to fight for the Brood, such a scale will protect you from the three elements," Felina told her.  
  
Suddenly, they heard a voice say, "That is correct. I can tell that your battle is not only for, but also with the Dragon Clan. It is rare to find someone like you these days."  
  
The three instantly reacted. Both Felina and Garth transformed into their special forms. The young dancer became a Siren. Now, she was a humanoid Dragon with purple scales, and a long sleeved black dress. Garth was now a Berserker. He had become a humanoid Dragon with brown scales, silver chest armor with gold borders, a golden belt with a ruby on it and a golden sheath attached to it, a pair of red horns on his head, and red spikes down his neck and back. A golden blade was in his hands.  
  
Nina pointed her staff ahead. "Are you friend or foe? If you try to attack, we'll fight back."  
  
"Calm down," the voice replied, "I'm on your side, Your Majesty. My name is Lumina, of the Light Dragon Clan. I am descended of the Priestesses of Dies."  
  
Down the stairs came a young girl, about twelve years old. She had long orchid hair, and dark blue eyes. Silver wings were on her back, with orchid scales in the webbing. The young girl had on a white dress with a silver collar and silver borders on the short sleeves. A silver scarf was wrapped around her waist, and fell down over the front of her dress. She stepped forward.  
  
"Sorry, we worried that you were a Guardian. We are in the Urkan Region," apologized Nina.  
  
Lumina said, "That's ok. I really should learn to be more careful about opening my mouth. It's hard when you're so young, and have such a burden to bear. Don't you agree, Your Majesty?"  
  
Nina nodded. "Are you here to find Dies? All we know is that she is prisoner somewhere in the depths of this tower. But we haven't found anything as of yet."  
  
"She's in another basement, one separate from the main body of the tower," admitted Lumina, "But she's been sealed, and I don't know how to release her. When I contacted her through my dreams, she told me to find Guardian Gaist. But I don't have any idea where he might be?"  
  
"Typical Light Dragon Priestess. Doesn't know what she's doing with her dreams. I can find Gaist with my own sight powers," boasted Felina. She then began to concentrate.  
  
Lumina asked, "Is she a Dark Dragon? I've never seen another Dragon since I woke up, and now I've seen two members of the rarer of the two clans. Will I find more in the future?"  
  
Nina nodded again. "We're with the Dragon Protectors. There are many Dragons living in our hideout. Come with us, and you'll be able to find more of your own people. We have five Dark Dragons, two Light Dragons, and a crossbreed who is half Dark and half Light. Not to mention me and a Woren warrior who is close friends with one of our Dark Dragons."  
  
"Cut the chatter," ordered Felina, "I've managed to locate where Gaist is. He's living beyond the tidal caves in the west. We can do the old 'Checkpoint Crossing' trick that Casey and Crest taught us, or we could always just walk through the caves and save our energy."  
  
"I vote for the flying. There probably won't be much in the way of battles while there, unless we have to fight Gaist. It'll go faster, and we can always rest beyond the cave," Nina stated.  
  
So that was how three Dragons and one Winged girl began flying west, towards a small town where outcasts and rejects lived. Garth began to grumble about all the girls in his midst. Once over the cave, they made camp. But someone else seemed to have gotten there first.  
  
He was a young boy of about thirteen with white hair and silver eyes. A green trenchcoat was being worn over red breeches and a brown tunic. Leather boots were on his legs. He told them, "Welcome, friends. It looks like I'm not the only one who will stand against the Guardians in order to save the Dragon Clan. My name is Ryan of the Light Dragon Clan."  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, here are the stats of our new members. They get to fight in the next chapter.  
  
Lumina (two years younger than Nina): Mutant, ???, Royal (her original), and she fights with a wand.  
  
Ryan (one year younger than Nina): Miracle, Thorn, Reverse, Light (his original) and he fights with a long sword 


	12. TriDragon Battle

Tri-Dragon Battle  
  
"Well, you are here to see Gaist, aren't you?" inquired Ryan, "If you are, take me with you."  
  
"Yes, we are. We're trying to free Lady Dies. But why are you here?" Nina asked.  
  
Ryan replied, "I am trying to find our people's lost history. Gaist is no more of a threat, so I plan to ask him the Why of the war. He was the one who ran away at the end of the war, wanting nothing more to do with the killing of the Dragons. If I can understand him, I might find a vital clue to my search."  
  
Lumina eyed him over. "But you're only a kid. You should stop before you get hurt."  
  
"Look whose talking," Felina mumbled, "You're even younger than he is."  
  
"I heard that Felina. I happen to be the Priestess of Dies. This is my duty, not some wacky quest I'm undergoing. Once my duty is fulfilled, I'll go somewhere safe," she yelled.  
  
Nina ordered, "No fighting you two. We'll see Gaist tomorrow, so get your sleep."  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, the three headed to the town. Once there, they immediately began to search for Gaist. He was found in a cave resembling an arena near the back of town. Upon seeing the four Brood and the Winged child, he immediately got interested in the visitors.  
  
Lumina looked the Guardian in the eye. "We are hear to ask about Dies. She's told me to seek you in order to free her. Please, tell me what I must do so I can save her."  
  
"I would also like to know about my people," Ryan added, "Why were we destroyed by Myria and the Guardians? Why do Dies and Myria disagree on what to do about us?"  
  
"I do not know the answer to your problem, young Dragon. I know nothing about why my god believed you to be evil. Certainly, the Dragons I killed didn't resist me at all, as if they didn't care if they lived or died. But if you want to free Dies, you must fight me," he told them.  
  
Nina asked, "Why must we fight? If you're willing to help us, what will fighting solve?"  
  
Gaist shook his head. "The seal that holds Dies can only be released by killing me. I could always impale myself on my own spear, but I'd rather be killed by Dragons, since I killed many of their people. I want three of the young Brood warriors to fight me, and kill me with the true power of the Brood.  
  
"I will fight you too then," Nina vowed, "Maybe I look like a Winged Clanswoman, but I am in fact a Dragon inside. My powers seem to come alive when my people are in danger."  
  
"I want to help out too. Saving Dies is my responsibility," added Lumina.  
  
Ryan insisted, "You must take me too Nina. I might find my answers in this battle."  
  
"Take the kids Nina," Felina told her, "I think I would like to sit this one out. Where's the bar in this stinking town, I need a drink to calm my nerves. Garth can come with me."  
  
"We don't have a bar. Pity, I really love my liqueur," Gaist admitted.  
  
Felina then decided to leave town so she could have some of the wine in her backpack in peace and quiet. Garth followed her, not letting his charge out of his site for a minute. The other three stared down the Guardian, getting ready for the battle. Both Dragons transformed before they started.  
  
Lumina became a Majestic Dragon. She now had orchid scales with silver scales on her belly. A silver horn was on her head, silver spikes down her back, and silver eyes.  
  
Ryan was now a White Dragon. As the name implied, it was a white scaled dragon with golden scales on his belly. A golden horn was on his head, golden spikes ran down his neck and back, and his eyes were gold as well. Even his wings were lined with gold.  
  
Nina yelled, "Now, we're all ready for a battle. Guardian, fight us in order to amend your past guilt over the deaths of our people. Get ready to die by our hands."  
  
Gaist then began to transform into his larger, more monstrous form. Two torches were there to aid him in the battle. From what Nina had ready, Guardians hated magic, most notably Ice element. So she cast Blizzard on Gaist and the torches. Instantly, the torches were both extinguished. Now, the three warriors could concentrate their attacks on the Guardian without any worries.  
  
One of the biggest pieces of good fortune for the group would have to be the Majestic Dragon's powers. Besides her decent physical strength, she could cast Rejuvenate on any wounds. So none of them had to be as cautious as usual when it came to fighting.  
  
Seeing Nina as the weakest, Gaist attacked her with his fists. The young Winged girl was knocked across the room. She hit the wall, and lay where she fell.  
  
Suddenly, Nina's heart began to beat much louder and clearer than before. A brilliant white light surrounded her. Then, just like before, she was in her Dragon body. Instantly, the youth transformed into a Trygon, in order to give some Ice Breath, but not get creamed by his fire.  
  
Not too long after, Gaist fell. The three turned back into their human forms. Nina also became a Winged Clanswoman again, but didn't faint. She was, however, a little faint from the effort.  
  
Gaist looked at them. "Good job. You three certainly showed me the true power of your clan. Go and save Lady Dies. If you manage to see Garr, tell him that we must not fight anymore. Tell him, that the Dragons only want to live in peace. And tell him, that Gaist sent you."  
  
He then died in front of them. Nina picked up the Beast Spear that was at his feet. She figured it might help them to convince Garr if they ever met him. Or maybe someone they met would use a spear in battle, and could find use for it. She certainly didn't have any desire to fight with one again, especially this one, which drained your energy if you used it. The three then left town in order to reunite with their friends. From there, they all headed back to Angel Tower, in order to see Dies.  
  
- - - -  
  
Yeah, Nina's full power...she has all genes in this form (well, all of Ryu's genes) and will have Infinity later on as well 


	13. A Serpant's Story

A Serpent's Story  
  
After reuniting outside of town, the five headed back to Angel's Tower. Once there, they waited for the night, so the guards would go to sleep. When the time was right, all five snuck past the gates, and headed for the basement area where Dies was said to be sealed.  
  
There, they found a naked woman with blue hair sleeping in a pyramid of energy. Nina walked up to the pyramid, curious as to how the fight had helped them if she was still sleeping. But the second Nina touched it, the barrier disappeared, and Dies was free. She then stood up.  
  
"Finally, I'm out of that stupid cage," she stated, "And four little Dragons have come to my rescue. As well as Princess Nina, it seems like she's finally beginning to awaken her true powers."  
  
"Excuse me, why have you called me a princess? I admit that I'm the reborn Queen of Dragons, but I'm not a princess. Just a young sorceress suffering from memory loss," Nina told her.  
  
Dies said, "But the Queen has always been reborn as a Wyndian princess. That was because she was the Princess of Wyndia before her transformation into a Dragon. I should know, I've fought alongside her on three separate occasions after the Dragon Clan was formed."  
  
Nina looked at her. "I'm really a Princess?! All these years, I've heard about how the princess went missing or got kidnapped by someone. I never imagined that it was me."  
  
"Lady Dies," inquired Ryan, "Could you tell us all about the wars, and how the Dragon Clan came to be Myria's enemy? You're her other half, right? So why do you two have such different ideals?"  
  
"I may be Myria's other half, but I'm not the same as my sister, am I? King Ryu was not the same as Fou Lou either. That was why they fought for control of their body in ancient times," Dies replied.  
  
Lumina asked, "Could you just tell us the story, my lady? We need to know what to do next."  
  
Dies looked at her. "I can see that you are one of my priestesses. Tell you what, come to the temple at Mt. Zublo. I'll tell you the story there, once I'm changed. You don't know how embarrassing it is to be stuck in the body of a human, without any clothes on. I'd like to deck that sister of mine for getting her servants to do that. I know I never embarrassed her like that."  
  
* * *  
  
Once at Mt. Zublo, the group found a cave with what appeared to be a temple inside. As this was the only thing that relatively matched what Dies had said, they entered. A plaque with some words in the ancient language of Dragons on it was at the back. When Nina touched it, a white- hot light covered the group. Then, they stood in another room before Dies, and Nina was in her Dragon body.  
  
Dies looked much different now. Her legs were now gone, with a green snake tail in their stead. She had on some clothes to cover the rest of her body as well, and her hair was in a ponytail.  
  
"Welcome," Dies stated, "It is nice to see you all. Do you still want to hear the story of the battles between the Dragons and Myria? It might take a little time, as there's much to stay."  
  
"Yes, tell us. I wish to know all about my people, and why we are always in battle," Ryan begged.  
  
Dies began with, "Well, it started over 10,000 years ago. That was when the Dragon King created your clan by sacrificing his godhood. He also helped me get out of this stupid suit of armor I was trapped in, as well as give the suit its own life as a Dragon. Then, ten years later, he was taken by a deranged scientist, and became a god once more. After that, he and his queen transferred their souls to Zephyr, but the second half of the king still existed as a Dragon God. He flew off, in order to watch over his people from afar. From that day forward, he was called Ladon, which means Silent Protector."  
  
This amazed Felina. "Our god is actually the King's other half?! So he really our creator."  
  
"Yes, Ladon is the one who created the clan," Dies continued, "Some time later, my other half, called Myria came down to the world. She tried to get the Dragons to follow her, and to ignore Ladon. The half that did became the Dark Dragon Clan. But Ryu and Nina had been reborn, and with the help of six others, they used the Goddess Keys to seal her away. With her gone, the peace returned to the world once more. The King and Queen married, and left the first bit of Dragon blood in the Wyndian Royal Family. But that began the deterioration of the clan's wings, to the point where the Great Bird was only accessible to adults, and wings were unable to grow until they were about ten years old."  
  
"Why are my wings so grown? I know we lost most of our power due to some ancestors who married outside of the clan and diluted our blood, but how can I look like this?" inquired Nina.  
  
Dies informed her, "I cannot say how. Maybe because you're awakening your true power. Or it could be because of an outside factor. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the second war with Myria. Her name was changed to Tyr and mine to Bleu after the first conflict, due to my deciding to hide our ties to the Dragons of the past. Some time later, the emperor of the Dark Dragons tried to revive her. Again, Ryu and Nina came to fight against her with six companions. This time, Nina was much younger than he, but ended up at the same age once she fell backwards through a time warp five years. Again, they married. And again, the blood became diluted. The Great Bird was lost, but Healing magic became part of the Light Dragon Clan, and Battle magic part of the Winged Clan. Dragon females also grew wings."  
  
Garth looked awed. "Wow, I never knew our clans had been through all that. But didn't the Dragons all make peace, and protect the world from a demon 500 years later?"  
  
"You are right," Dies replied, "A demon tried to destroy the Dragons by weakening Ladon and getting people to worship him. Again, the King and Queen fought against him with their companions, seven this time. And again, they married and the blood became diluted. This time, the Wyndian Wings became much smaller, and even a magical ceremony couldn't awaken the Great Bird. But I can see that Nina has the power within her, and she just has to find it."  
  
At that moment, Nina became a Winged Clanswoman again. She felt a new power within her. It felt just like the legendary Great Bird, who could carry her friends high above the clouds.  
  
"Good, it looks like it worked. Now, use this power to complete your mission, and save the Dragon Clans from destruction. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," apologized Dies.  
  
Nina told her, "That's ok. Now that I have this, I think our chances for winning just became much greater. Let's get going, we must return home to plan our strategy."  
  
- - - -  
  
Ok, now we've connected all four games. Five ain't really in timeline due to the immense differences. 


	14. All In The Family

All in the Family  
  
Two more years passed since the encounter with Dies. Although Nina knew she was the Princess of Wyndia, she never returned home. Not only could she not remember anything about that time, but she knew her place was with the Dragon Protectors. Especially if she wanted to find the King of Dragons. Dies had said that his name was Ryu, why did it sound so familiar?  
  
"That's it!" she exclaimed one night, "Why didn't I think of it sooner? I'm so stupid."  
  
"Why are you so stupid Nina? You're the brains behind this operation," Helen told her.  
  
Nina informed Helen, "My King's name is Ryu. And that was what Teepo and Rei said was the name of their little brother. That's why I've heard the name before, they told me it some time ago. And it only took me two years to realize what it was. I must find him, but I don't want this to slip to Teepo or Rei just yet. If this Ryu turns out to be someone different, I don't want to give up their hopes."  
  
But before Helen could agree, another voice rang out. "Did you say Teepo? He's here? That's just great, I must thank Ladon for my good fortune. Let's get going right away Raven."  
  
A young girl who seemed to be about thirteen ran through the forest. She had short purple hair, red eyes, and black Dragonic wings. Her shirt was a red tank top, and she had on a black skirt. Leather boots were on her feet, and a leather belt was around her waist.  
  
With her came a thirteen-year-old boy. He had black hair and brown eyes. A red vest was over his chest, and he had on black breeches with a jagged cut on the bottom were on. There was a golden dickey on his neck, a rope around his waist, and some brown slipper shoes on his feet.  
  
"Who are you?" inquired Helen, "And where do you know Teepo from?" There was a hint of jealousy in her voice. Her crush on the young braggart was well known in the group.  
  
"My name is Sylvia, and I'm his cousin. My mother's ghost came to me when I discovered my powers, and told me to find my cousin. So I set out with my friend Raven, he's a Dark Dragon too. Now, after all these years, I've finally found him. Where is he exactly?"  
  
Nina told her, "In the treehouse. But he's probably goofing around and trying to drive his friend Rei crazy. Probably climbed a tree again, or turned into a Whelp in order to hide somewhere."  
  
Sylvia laughed. "I'll find him. Don't worry, I can sniff out anything. Well, see you." Then, the young woman ran off. Raven stayed behind, looking quite exasperated.  
  
"Don't mind her," he coldly said, "She's always this hyper. Sometimes, she just drives me crazy. I can't stand having to track her down. But if there's more Dragons here to take care of her, maybe I can cut myself a break for once. Now, where's your place?"  
  
* * *  
  
Sylvia eventually found Teepo, much to his annoyance. Now, he changed his activity from hiding from Rei, to hiding from Sylvia. But that was easier said than done. They hyperactive Dragoness had been right about one thing, she sure was good at finding things that were lost.  
  
"This is driving me crazy. I wish I could do something about her," Teepo complained.  
  
Rei stated, "Well, now you see how I felt, dealing with you all the time. Couldn't you act a little more your age. You're seventeen years old now Teepo, not seven."  
  
Teepo looked him in the eyes. "Well, you're twenty years old. And I'd like to see you act your age for once. Seriously, you're the biggest kid we have here."  
  
Their argument was interrupted by a scream. Sylvia and Raven were fighting off a monster that had come into the forest. It looked like the two young Dragons needed help. After all, they were the youngest in the group, even Lumina was older than they were.  
  
Rei became a Weretiger, and Teepo became a Trygon. They attacked and killed the beast that had ambushed the two youngsters. But another came after them at that moment. It attacked the group, knocking out Rei and Teepo. Both turned back into their regular forms, and were in great pain.  
  
"I guess this is it," Sylvia told Raven, "We have to use our most powerful forms, or we'll all die."  
  
"I'm ready Sylvia. This is one thing that we agree on," Ryan stated.  
  
Then, they transformed. Sylvia became a Moon Dragon. She was now covered with silver scales, with a large crescent moon over his forehead. Yellow spikes went down his neck, back, and tail, with a curly cue horn on the side of his head. Silver wings were on his back.  
  
Raven became a Black Dragon. Silver spikes came down his neck, back, and tail, and there was a silver horn on his head. His eyes were silver, as well as the inside of his wings.  
  
Sylvia let out a low growl at her enemy. She then launched a Silver Breath, while her companion attacked with Doom Breath. The creature writhed in pain, and died right then and there.  
  
* * *  
  
Raven told his friend, "Well, at least we won. I knew we could do it Sylvia."  
  
But she was trying to shake her cousin awake. "Teepo, Teepo, answer me. Come on, get up. Let's go back to the house and get something to eat. I'm getting hungry Teepo."  
  
"Ouch, Sylvia," he grumbled, "Stop shaking me. I'm still in pain from that attack. If you want to help me, go and fetch Lumina, Ryan, Lorelai, or Valindo. They can use some Healing on me."  
  
"Sorry Teepo, I guess I overreacted," she admitted.  
  
Teepo said, "It's ok cousin. I guess you're not as much of a burden as I thought, you sure can hold your own in a fight. Forgive me for ever thinking you were."  
  
She smiled. "I don't care. I think I'm a burden sometimes as well. But it was nice to hear you say that anyway. I'll go and get a Healer now." Then, she ran off.  
  
"Where does she get all her energy?" asked Rei, "I can't keep up with that kid."  
  
"Only Ladon knows Rei, only Ladon knows," replied Raven.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, here are the other two's stats. Remember, the new base age is sixteen. Ok, both of them are three years younger than Nina  
  
Sylvia: Mutant, ???, Night (her original) and fights with a sword  
  
Raven: Trance, Dark (his original) and fights with a sword as well 


	15. Painful Justice

Painful Justice  
  
Nina was walking down the road to Wyndia with Lorelai and Valindo. Rumor has it that a woman with Dragon wings was going around the world trying to bring justice wherever she went. We say "trying", because she obviously had some skewed ideas on what "justice" really was. She'd interfered in some arguments, thinking that one person was bullying the other. And once, she stopped the production of a play, because she thought that the villain was really going to conjure up a demon to attack the town. She wondered why she had opened her big mouth when her friends had heard about it.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Figures," mumbled Raven after hearing about the woman's adventures, "She has to be a Light Dragon. Only they would insist on fighting for justice, and getting involved in many misunderstandings in the process. No self respecting Dark Dragon would ever get into trouble with such ambitions." He seemed to be staring right at Valindo when he said those words.  
  
"We'll see about that Raven! I'll go out there and help her find the true meaning of justice, even if I have to search for years to find out where she went," vowed Valindo.  
  
Lorelai added, "I'll go with him. He's gonna need all the help he can in order to find her."  
  
Raven laughed. "That's a laugh, you kids just go on and have a good time playing hero."  
  
"I just happen to be two years older than you," yelled Valindo, "Who's the kid around here?"  
  
"And at least we don't go around looking for trouble. We know you're always sneaking off to McNeill village, and making mischief for the residents," chimed in Lorelai.  
  
Raven stated, "I was looking for Sylvia. She wanted to find out what happened there with her cousin and his buddies eight years ago. It's all her fault that I got in trouble."  
  
Valindo clenched his fists. "Coward! Hiding behind a girl. If you were a real man, you'd fight your own battles. I never went so far as to use the girls as a shield."  
  
"That's enough!" Nina exclaimed, "I will go with Valindo and Lorelai to find this Dragon woman. I'm sure they can't get into too much trouble if I am there with them.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
'Why did I have to open my mouth? I could have been home, drinking some nice, hot tea. But no, I had to say I'd go and track down a dang justice freak,' mused Nina.  
  
Suddenly, a group of monsters attacked. Out came Valindo's sword, and the girls' wands. They prepared to face the beasts. But before they could attack, something happened.  
  
A voice rang out, "Villainous demons who disrupt the peace. Now you will fall by my blade." At that moment, a young girl of about nineteen jumped down from a higher cliff on the mountain. She had long blond hair, blue eyes, and golden Dragon wings on her back. Her clothing consisted of white breeches, and a yellow tunic. The armor she wore was gold, along with a gold belt with a diamond in the center, golden gauntlets and greaves, as well as a golden helm with a diamond in the middle.  
  
Behind her came a nineteen-year-old boy. He was dressed similarly, although he tucked his tunic in his breeches. Brown leather shoes were on his feet, and he had on golden armor and a golden belt. His hair was short and red, and his eyes were blue.  
  
The girl walked forward. "Fear me demon. My name is Selene, world famous Hero of Justice. And this is my partner, The Great Justin. By our swords, you shall die fiend!"  
  
Both drew their swords. Then, they ran forward and attacked the beast. Nina and her allies watched the two with interest. They figured that this must be the Dragon woman from the rumors. Although none of the rumors mentioned her having an ally.  
  
Soon, the demon was destroyed. Selene wiped the blood off of her sword. Justin, noticing what his friend was doing, began to do the same. Nina thought that he had a crush on her.  
  
"Foolish demon," she said, "He should have known that he couldn't defeat a pair of Light Dragons in combat. I hope none of you were hurt. This place can be dangerous if you can't handle yourself."  
  
"We weren't in any danger. I could have taken care of it," Nina told her.  
  
Justin suddenly exclaimed, "My Lady! This is the woman from my dreams. The one who claimed to be the Queen of Dragons, and walked off with the King into the mists."  
  
Selene looked at Nina. "You're right Justin. She does look like our Queen. I guess we've found her at last. What do our people call you, Your Majesty?"  
  
"Nina," she replied, "And these two are Lorelai and Valindo of the Light Dragon Clan."  
  
At that moment, another monster attacked. It looked like it was the mate of the one that Selene had just killed. And it was pretty mad at the young woman for doing just that.  
  
"Let's go Justin. We'll have to transform," Selene stated.  
  
Then, they became Dragons. Selene turned into a Star Dragon. She now had golden scales with yellow spikes coming down her neck, back, and tail. The Dragon also had a curly yellow horn on each side of her head, much like the one on the Moon Dragon.  
  
Justin became a Holy Dragon. He was now covered in blue scales. No spikes were on his body, but there was a golden horn on his head and he had gold eyes.  
  
With one of Selene's Golden Breaths, the demon was killed. Then, they transformed back into humans. Selene asked, "Did you see how good we did? Another victory for the Allies of Justice. If you wish to fight for justice, can you recruit the two of us to your ranks?"  
  
Nina sweatdropped. "Sure Selene. You can come back to our treehouse with us." But she was really wondering how she would be able to keep the young woman out of trouble.  
  
- - - -  
  
I had to write a character ala Amelia from Slayers. Thought it would be funny. Well, here are the stats for the last of our OCs. As you've seen, both use swords in battle.  
  
Selene (three years older than Nina): Miracle, ???, Celestrial (her unique)  
  
Justin (three years older than Nina): Failure, Trance, Saint (his unique)  
  
Here comes the last jump, and then we'll be in the timeframe of Adulthood. 


	16. Nina's Solo Journey

Nina's Solo Journey  
  
Nina had been using the Great Bird to search for clues since she was fourteen years old. Now, at eighteen, she'd finally heard a clue to her King's whereabouts. There was a Dragon spotted in the Dauna Mines, who was attacking miners. As she knew that most if not all of the Dragons had returned to human form, this one must have gotten trapped again like Helen, trapped in fear. So this one must have been a human once, but had to use his powers to save himself from death. And her King was definitely once human, if he was indeed the same Ryu that used to pal around with Rei and Teepo.  
  
She never told anyone about what she'd heard. The only thing the woman did was to pack some supplies, and sneak out in the dead of night. Part of the rumor said that the foreman was hiring out mercenaries to kill it. Nina knew she must find him before the Guardian took on the job.  
  
"Excuse me," she said when she arrived at the mines, "I would like to take on the job to kill the Dragon in the mines. Can you point me to where he dwells, or should I go on my own?"  
  
"You?! What can a little girl like you do? It'll take a big strong man to kill this thing. You should just go back home and play tea party or something," scoffed the foreman.  
  
Nina stated, "If you will not help me find him, I will go and do it myself. Just because I'm a woman, that doesn't mean that I can't hold my own in a fight. I'm not scared of a Dragon."  
  
She went into the mines through the front entrance. Immediately, she began searching through every corridor of the mine in order to search for the Dragon. The top floors seemed to hold nothing except the random monsters. So Nina descended into the deepest depths of the mines.  
  
There, in one of the shafts, she saw a small green Whelp. It screeched the second it saw her, as was its instinct. But Nina was not afraid. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I only want to help you regain your human form. You probably are only trying to protect yourself when you attack the miners."  
  
The Whelp looked up at her. He apparently was staring at her necklace. There, she wore the Trygon scale she'd found four years ago in Angel's Tower. It seemed to mesmerize him.  
  
Suddenly, the Dragon let out a screech of delight. He ran for Nina, and jumped into her arms. The creature then began to snuggle up to her, as if he was a cat or small dog.  
  
"Is this your scale boy?" asked Nina, "You must have been fighting in Angel's Tower when you shed it. Probably why you ended up here. Is that right, Ryu?"  
  
The Dragon nodded. Nina thought that he understood her somehow, although he was still trapped in his Dragonic body. She pet him on the head, and he smiled at her.  
  
"Miss, you shouldn't be here. It is dangerous with the Dragon around," a voice stated.  
  
Nina turned around. The figure behind her was covered in the shadows, so she couldn't see him clearly. But he had wings, and horns on his head. It was obvious who this was, Guardian Garr.  
  
She asked him, "Oh, it is, is it? Well, I think that the Queen of Dragons could hold her own in a fight. But she usually doesn't have to fight, as the Dragons recognize who she is."  
  
Garr took a step back. "The Queen of Dragons?! I thought that was only a legend that they spoke of. I never believed that she would come back to fight me. Please, hear me out."  
  
"You will never take him," she yelled, "Let's get going Ryu, we're gonna escape and get you back to normal." With that, she began to fly overhead. Then, she zoomed through the mine, back to the elevator. Once at the first level, she flew out of the entrance, and back towards the Cedar Woods.  
  
* * *  
  
Nina was flying so fast, that she missed the Cedar Woods altogether. Before she knew what had happened, she'd crashed into a Tower east of the city of Wyndia. In fact, she'd flown through a window, and had knocked into a bookshelf. There, she found some pretty dirty books.  
  
"Must be a man who lives here. I never got their obsession with these books. But, I have a feeling that I've seen this place before. It almost looks like Momo's place," she mumbled.  
  
For the second she'd conked her head on the shelf, Nina seemed to knock her memory back into place. Now, she had realized how she'd gotten her wings in the first place. It was pretty funny, in fact. When she'd first came to Momo's, she had drank what appeared to be soda pop. Turns out, it was an experimental potion to restore the Winged Clan's wings. Looks like it worked after all.  
  
Suddenly, she saw the Dragon glowing. He transformed into a young man of eighteen years with blue hair and eyes. He was also, unfortunately, not wearing any clothes.  
  
He asked her, "Nina, is that you? How did we get here anyway?"  
  
Nina tossed him some brown breeches, a blue tunic, gold greaves, a gold belt with a sapphire on it, and a golden chestplate. "Here, you can wear this Ryu. Luckily, I was prepared."  
  
"Thanks Nina," he said, "But what has happened to you? You've changed in ten years."  
  
"You wouldn't believe this if I told you Ryu, but I am the reincarnation of the Queen of Dragons. And unless I am mistaken, you are the reincarnation of the King of Dragons," she told him.  
  
Ryu exclaimed, "King and Queen! How can that be? There's no way we can be a King and Queen of Dragons. Come to think of it, I don't even know what that is."  
  
Nina sighed. "We'll go and ask the Serpentine Sorceress Dies. She knew the King and Queen in ancient times, and would know if you are it or not. But she says I'm definitely the Queen. Heck, I sometimes shed my Winged wings for Dragon ones when there's trouble afoot."  
  
At that moment, Momo entered reading a book. She walked over to her desk, and put it down. When she turned around to leave the library, she saw Ryu and Nina standing there. Needless to say, the young scientist was pretty surprised to see the two of them.  
  
"Ryu, Nina, you're alive!" she exclaimed, "But how did you get here? None of my traps were tripped up, so how could you have come to the top floor without climbing the tower?"  
  
- - - -  
  
Now we're finally getting on with the plot from the game...Well, almost. You know that scene wasn't in the game at all. I don't think I need to say anything about Ryu, he is just like he was in the game. But Momo is twenty- six years old. And Rei is twenty-two at this time. They talk to Dies in the next chapter, and will meet the others if there's time. 


	17. King & Queen Reunite

King & Queen Reunite  
  
After leaving the tower, Nina transformed into the Great Bird. Ryu, Momo, and Momo's Crysm Bot, Honey, got on her back. She then began flying towards the shrine at Mt. Zublo, scaring the guards at the checkpoint in the process, as they weren't used to seeing a Great Bird. There, they landed, and proceeded to enter the cave, where Nina invoked the spell needed to open the way to Dies's chambers. But it apparently only worked on Dragons or those with the soul of a Dragon, so Momo had been forced to wait outside. Not that she minded, she fiddled with an invention while she waited.  
  
"So, you two have finally reunited," Dies commented, "Now, is there something you need to ask me? About what you should do next? Or maybe why you've come back to life in the first place?"  
  
"Yes, I want to know how in the heck I can be some legendary king and Nina a legendary queen. We really aren't all that old, I remember us as children," Ryu stated.  
  
Dies then told him the same story she'd told Nina four years ago. About how he had formed the Dragon Clan, and them being sealed away in order to stay forever. She also mentioned how the two only were reborn if there was a battle to be fought for the glory of the Brood.  
  
Nina asked, "But what is this battle then? The Brood were attacked over four centuries ago. If we are born to fight for their survival, wouldn't it have been back then?"  
  
Dies shook her head. "Myria's supporters were too strong. If the Guardians teamed up, they would be able to crush the two of you flat, even if they had to surround you and attack from all sides. But now, Gaw and Gast sealed themselves away after the war, and Gaist ran away, and was killed in fair combat four years ago. Only Garr remains now, and he can't use such tactics against you. He'd probably be too scared to fight the King and Queen anyway, what with how legends describe them."  
  
"Must not know who I am," mumbled Ryu, "Or else he wouldn't have fought me ten years ago."  
  
"Anyway you two, since you're both here, that means there must be some kind of battle that faces the Dragon Clan in the near future. And seeing as no demons are attacking, or seem to be gathering power, that must mean the battle will be against my sister," Dies said.  
  
Nina told her, "But Myria hasn't tried anything since the Dragons were killed off."  
  
Dies looked at the princess. "Who do you think attacked you ten years ago? Unlike Garr and the other Guardians, she can tell who they are. She did get her butt kicked by them twice before, it was a rewarding site to see you know. SHE never had to deal with the humiliation of GETTING TRAPPED IN A SUIT OF ARMOR FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS! Well, back on topic. It seems like the time has come to finally break her power once and for all. Only the King and Queen can stand against her. I'd advise getting at least six people to go with you to the place where she dwells. This light will show you the way." With that, she cast a spell on Ryu, and a trail of light headed north. "Your way lies over the sea. The Great Bird can take you. Choose your allies from among the Dragons well, the fate of your clan depends on victory. Good luck, Ryu and Nina. May you be victorious."  
  
* * *  
  
"And that's what she said," Nina told Momo, "We've got to get some help from our allies to fight the goddess. I'm already thinking about who to send, this is an important decision."  
  
"She said at least six, so find five people who seem like worthy candidates," Ryu requested.  
  
Momo said, "Make that four. We've got to take Peco, he's been pining after Ryu and you for ten years now, I'm sure this journey will do him a world of good."  
  
Nina began to debate on who should join the fight as she flew the others back. 'Well, I have to take Helen, she'd be hurt if I didn't choose her, as she's my closest friend besides Ryu. And if Helen goes, Teepo will come by hook or by crook. If Teepo sneaks along, Rei will definitely break into the company as well. That leaves one more, but who wouldn't care if they were separated from their significant other?' For by now, each of the Dragons had fallen in love with one of their comrades. It kind of went like this, Helen with Teepo, Casey with Crest, Lorelai with Valindo, Felina with Garth, Lumina with Ryan, Sylvia with Raven, and Selene with Justin.  
  
Certain people were definitely not going to be in the running, as she really didn't feel like putting the younger Dragons at risk. Meaning, Lorelai, Valindo, Lumina, Ryan, Sylvia, and Raven weren't going to come. Nor was she going to bring Selene and Justin, she worried for how they would start acting around Myria. She could just picture Selene screaming about Myria being an evildoer who was going to be smited by the Allies of Justice, before getting knocked out by one of the goddess's spells.  
  
When they arrived, they saw a scene of complete disarray. Chairs and tables had been thrown around the clearing. It looked just like an episode of Jerry Springer taped outdoors.  
  
"Rei, Teepo," screamed Nina, "What in Ladon's name did you do here? I know it had to be you, as you're the only ones who think making a complete mess of all of our household furniture is funny. Come on out here, and tell me what's going on this instant!"  
  
Ryu and Momo were quite surprised. Nina barely raised her voice to anyone, unless they were evil, when she was a kid. Now, she was screaming at the top of her lungs over what appeared to be some kind of drunken frat party gone way out of control.  
  
Rei ran outside, followed by Teepo and Helen. But he took no notice of Ryu at the moment, although Teepo gave a smile at his old friend. His mind was elsewhere at the moment.  
  
"Nina, we have an emergency. Guardian Garr came into town this morning, and he came to see us. We're holding him off as best we can, but we don't think we can last forever," Rei stated.  
  
- - - -  
  
I know what you're thinking. Jerry Springer? Frat parties? Nani? It's just a silly little simile. Had to describe the mess somehow. About names. Well, Gaw I'm a hundred percent sure. But Gast, well I know that was the professor in FF VII. I lost the paper that I'd written them on, and it'd take forever to load up a file and check, providing I can check on it once in Adulthood. It might have been that, but I'm not sure. Now how did the fight started, if Garr is only interested in finding out about why his god destroyed the Dragons? Who says Garr started it? All Rei said was that they're holding him off. 


	18. Team Decided

Team Decided  
  
"Rei! Teepo! Is it really you?" asked Ryu, "I thought Balio and Sunder had done you guys in."  
  
"Nope, we're alive and kicking. Me 'cuz I'm a Dark Dragon. And Rei, well you know how hard this guy's skull is. It'd take more than those thugs' fists to crack it," Teepo commented.  
  
Rei told him, "Watch it Teepo. We've got a Guardian to deal with, and your jokes aren't helping the situation any bit. Nina, do you think you can defeat him in a fight? Or maybe you Ryu."  
  
Ryu looked down. "Well, the first time we fought, in the Contest of Champions, Garr kicked my butt. But I was able to defeat him at Angel's Tower, then something told me not to kill him. So maybe if we fight once again, I can find out the answer to why we must not fight."  
  
"I didn't get it," Rei said, "How can fighting tell you why you must not fight?"  
  
"Clueless as always Rei. He's using Light Dragon Philosophy, you know, like when Ryan and Valindo are always drawling on about how we must not kill if we don't have too," Teepo chided.  
  
Nina told them, "Take care of Momo for us then. Ryu and I will got and try to fight the Guardian, and find out whatever we can." With that, they took off for the house.  
  
* * *  
  
At the house, the two found Garr being beaned by Selene. "Foolish Guardian, showing your face around the hideout of the Dragon Protectors. You have just sealed your fate to die by my sword. Now you will feel the wrath of the Allies of Justice for all of your crimes against our race."  
  
"Lay off Selene," yelled Nina, "Let Ryu and I take care of this. We know what to do."  
  
"Ni~na. Can't I just knock him unconscious for a bit?" inquired the Justice Freak.  
  
Nina told her, "Not now. If we are unable to talk him around, then you can have all the fun you want. But we need to have a word with the Guardian at the moment."  
  
Selene left. Nina looked Garr strait in the eye. "Now then, did you come here to do battle with our peaceful little colony? Or is there some other reason you've come to see us?"  
  
"I came to see Ryu," Garr stated, "Ever since the battle at Angel's Tower, I've become confused. I wonder exactly why he didn't kill me, or why the Dragons of long ago never fought back. Maybe our god was misguided in fearing the Brood. I want Ryu to come with me to find God, so we can find all of the answers. He has the right to know this, as he is one of the Brood."  
  
"What a coincidence. We were going to seek out just that. And Dies just gave us a beacon of light that will lead right to where Myria lives. We were going to head out after I choose the team of six to accompany us, as I know these people much better than Ryu," said Nina.  
  
Garr asked her, "Could you take me with you? I want to redeem myself for the past."  
  
Nina nodded. "That solves my problem of dividing the group, or leaving an uneven ratio of Light Dragons to Dark Dragons. I'd better gather the gang together, and announce what's going on."  
  
* * *  
  
Everyone gathered in the biggest clearing for Nina's announcement. She set up a makeshift podium consisting of the table from the kitchen, placed on top of the stump of a tree that had been cut down recently after Selene had mutilated it while on one of her evil hunts. Her gravel was simply the hammer they used to build all of their furniture. It sure got a lot of work, since some people - - most notably Sylvia and Raven - - didn't want to stop arguing.  
  
"Now that I have your attention, I've got a very important announcement to make," Nina informed them, "We're going to search for the Goddess Myria. Dies has given us a very important clue, as well as informed me that this is Ryu and my destiny. With us, we're taking six others. Due to circumstances, we are going to bring the Guardian along, so he can repent from his past mistakes. We also are going to bring some of our companions from the original journey east that Ryu and I took as children. I would like to introduce you to the scientist, Momo, her Crysm Bot, Honey, and the sentient onion, Peco."  
  
The Dragons looked at the three of them. Momo was blushing furiously, and Peco was sleeping. Garr stood there as rigid as always. Rei wondered if he ever smiled.  
  
"Who will the last three be Nina? We need the strongest fighters we can get if we have to go up against someone who could wipe out the entire race in one blow," Garth reminded her.  
  
Nina told him, "I was just getting to that. We'll need someone whose good at picking locks, in case Myria is trying to lock us out. Therefore, Rei will also come along. But the last two spots took some careful consideration. We need someone to represent the Dark Dragons, but we also don't want the representation to become uneven among the clans, either in the party or back here watching the fort. Therefore, I've decided to bring Teepo and Helen along as well."  
  
The group of eight then stepped forward, toward the podium. Cheers rang up from the other Dragons, although they all wanted to come along, they also didn't quite feel like dying at the moment. But Nina was also right about one thing, with one and a half people from either Dragon Clan in the group, the representation would be evenly split. And that also meant that there'd be six on a side if they decided to start some kind of debate between the clans at home, it was no fun if the numbers were uneven.  
  
As the group turned to leave the forest, Sylvia ran up to them. "Goodbye Teepo, I know you're going to make it back safely. Bring me back a souvenir from Myria's home."  
  
"Only Sylvia," muttered Teepo, "Only she would think of this like it was some kind of picnic."  
  
"Don't worry everyone, we'll be back soon. Then, finally, the Brood can live in peace once more," called Nina over her shoulder. She then ran to catch up to the others. After all, she was the only one who could fly, without here they'd never be able to cross the sea.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...the power of Great Birds. Skip over all the crud. 


	19. Fight for Infinity

Fight for Infinity  
  
By the time Nina had flown over the ocean, and past some pretty formidable mountains, her wings were beginning to tire. It was hard enough carrying six people on her back, even though Peco's small size made up for Garr's massive bulk, but to have to carry six people on your back with fights breaking out every few minutes, was near impossible. For if Rei wasn't arguing with Teepo for one thing or another, he was fighting with Momo over how naïve the young scientist was.  
  
"That's it," yelled Nina after the umpteenth millionth fight, "We're landing right now so we can let off some steam. There's a town up ahead, we can stay there the night."  
  
She landed, and transformed back into a human. Then, the group walked into the city. But the second they entered, something strange happened. People came up to them, and started to shake the hands of Ryu, Nina, Teepo, and Helen. Then, they began to cheer.  
  
"The King and Queen have returned! Praise Ladon," exclaimed one man.  
  
A woman called, "They have come to rescue us from our eternal suffering at long last."  
  
Nina was confused. "Excuse me, what are you talking about? We're just passing through on our journey to the far north. Who are you, and where is this place?"  
  
"Sorry, we just got excited," a man told them, "You see, we are also of the Brood. But we've given up our powers, in order to hide from Myria until the time when the King and Queen can come again to face the goddess and defeat her, whether with weapons or with words."  
  
"Enough, we will feast tonight in their honor. Tomorrow, they must meet with the Elder, so he will be able to judge if they're worthy of the true power of the Brood," one man said.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, the eight warriors headed to an underground well, where Elder Jono was waiting for them. On the way through the cavern, they spotted a picture depicting the second war with Myria. They could see Ryu with his sword drawn, and Nina flying overhead. Their allies were painted all around them, using their own styles of fighting. Even Dies was there, holding up her cane to cast a spell.  
  
When they arrived in the Elder's chambers, they saw a little old man sitting on a raised platform. He told them, "Come closer, children of the Brood, King Ryu, Queen Nina, and your other allies. Hear what I have to say, for it is important. Myria lives in a ruin far beyond the Desert of Death. But seeing as you have awakened the Great Bird of Wyndia, I think you will not have to worry about that. It is the goddess who will give you cause to worry. If she is unwilling to listen to reason, you might have to fight. It is time that you were imbued with the most powerful gene of them all, the Infinity."  
  
Ryu stepped forward. "What must we do to acquire this power? All power must come with a price, or it would be too easy to obtain. What is the price of this power, Elder?"  
  
"You must fight me," Jono replied, "You and the other two Dragons. The Queen will automatically gain the powers that you have acquired, since her Winged body is incompatible with the genes. So she must wait for you three to emerge victorious. I know how you always like to fight together."  
  
"I understand Elder. You can do it Ryu, I know you can beat him in battle, and gain the full power of the Brood. I'll just wait outside with Rei, Momo, Garr, and Peco," Nina stated.  
  
The others went outside. Ryu, Helen, and Teepo stared down the Elder. He began to cast a spell, that covered the whole room in a black void. A green box seemed to enclose the party as well. But when the spell ended, they were back in the room they had started in.  
  
Jono told them, "I sealed your powers for this fight. You must be willing to face me on your own terms. My Dragon form isn't too reliable anyway, it's so old that it always gets a bad back."  
  
The battle was on. Ryu started right away with his Bonebreak skill, which could only be used once a day. He was lucky to have saved it. Teepo and Helen were using Myollnir on him, along with some of Teepo's Triple Attacks, and Helen's Ax Crushers.  
  
Although Bad Back could sometimes immobilize Jono, leaving him open to attacks, he was still a challenging fight. The Elder was still quite strong, despite his age, and Ryu's healing saw much use.  
  
After about a half-hour, Teepo had a brilliant idea. He pulled an Hourglass out of his pocket, and let it activate. Now, he was the only one to move for three whole turns. With this, he attacked with his Triple Attack three times, without having to break for items. Although this caused some confusion when it wore off, as neither Ryu nor Helen knew how Jono had gotten so many more wounds on his body. Both of them began to question him on how he had done it, was it a secret technique?  
  
Teepo laughed. "I used an Hourglass. Three free turns. Too bad that was my last one. Or else I would give it to you to use next Helen. These things are pretty useful."  
  
"Very well," Jono stated, "You are all worthy of the Infinity Gene. Take it, and head across the Desert of Death. Remember that you are the only ones who can decide how to handle Myria. I won't hold it against you if you back down from the fight. But never tip her off to there being more Dragons alive than just you. If she knows about us or your other companions, the war will begin anew, and the world might be destroyed. For that is the reason we never used our true power, we knew that if all the Brood in the world invoked Infinity, there would be Hell to pay." With that, he disappeared, leaving a gene in his place. Ryu, Helen, and Teepo suddenly felt a surge of energy go through them.  
  
"It looks like we'd better get a move on. We must find Myria before she starts a new purge, and something terrible happens," Ryu said. He left the room, and stood by Nina.  
  
She replied, "Whatever happens Ryu, I will always know that you are a good Dragon."  
  
He smiled. "I know Nina, it is just nice to hear that sometimes. Let's get going, Desert of Death, here we come." Then, the group left the well, and headed out of town so Nina could fly them to the ruin.  
  
- - - -  
  
Yay! Station Myria next time. But without all the crud. Nina can fly them past all the barriers. And we've got some foolproof plans for how to quickly get past the traps. Sensible things the game wouldn't let you do. I've just got a plan of how to work with things. Well, now the final gene has been introduced. Ryu can become Kaiser, Teepo can become Dragon Lord (but a human shaped form of it, he only could use the Breath shape in the game due to Myria's power merging with that of the Brood), and Helen can become an Empress. So can Nina, when she does her Dragons change. 


	20. Dragonic Destiny

Dragonic Destiny  
  
"I see it!" exclaimed Teepo, "That big floating station that's just up ahead. It's got to be where Myria dwells. After all, who else would want to live in a place like this?"  
  
Nina landed on the welcoming platform. Then, she became a human again. Once that was done, the group started to look through the station. In order to quicken the search, the preliminary search was divided into groups. Rei, Momo, Peco, and Garr went one way, while Ryu, Nina, Helen, and Teepo went the other way. They met back at the entrance, talking about what they'd discovered.  
  
Rei had picked some locks, and had managed to find some special shells for Momo's bazooka that could destroy plants. Ryu had found some weeds that blocked a door in one of the corridors, after breaking some glass and sneaking through the hole to steal a Keycard A from a monster who was sleeping there. They figured that the two objects might connect, so they all went to see the plants.  
  
Momo blew up the plants, and they then began to journey through the newly opened door. It looked to be a green garden of some sort. Soon after, they found what appeared to be a locked door. Rei picked it, and they continued onwards. It wasn't long before they found an elevator that was labeled "Eden". Curious as to what it was, the group all took it to the top.  
  
* * *  
  
A world full of greenery awaited them there. To the Dragons, it was surprisingly calming. Teepo let a bird land on his finger. Ryu sat under a tree to doze. And Helen sat near some flowers.  
  
"Just as I suspected. This is the perfect place for the Dragons to live. It calms their senses, so they have no desire to fight. The world will be safe only if all Brood move here," a voice echoed.  
  
Suddenly, a woman appeared. She was blond with blue eyes, and had many white wings on her back. The woman wore a pink low cut dress. But she seemed too perfect to be real.  
  
Nina yelled, "You must be Myria. Why have you attacked the Dragons? They never wanted to destroy the world, and if they hadn't let themselves be destroyed, then they would have done just that."  
  
Myria shook her head. "Even if they didn't mean to, they still are a danger. It only takes one Dragon who is uninformed on who he is to go on a rampage and destroy the world. But you should be relieved, I've found a place where all Dragons can live without the will or desire to battle."  
  
She waved her hand. In that instant, all of the other Dragons appeared in the room. They all immediately calmed down due to the spell Myria placed throughout Eden. Even little Sylvia sat down and began to relax, and Selene didn't charge Myria looking for justice at all.  
  
"Now then," Myria told the others, "You all will be able to go home without memory of this adventure. You can go back to your former lives, and live in peace for eternity."  
  
She waved her hand at Momo first. But to everyone's surprise, Rei jumped in front to shield the scientist. He vanished in the next instant. For when she was in danger, Rei finally noticed just how much he cared about the scatterbrained young woman. Not that his sacrifice stopped Myria from blasting Momo with her next spell. Garr was next, and then she turned towards Nina.  
  
"Poor little princess, so scarred from her encounters with Dragons. I will fill you with false memories of a happy life with your parents, and you can go home to them. They will remember spending the last ten years with you too. Everything will be as it should be," she stated.  
  
But for some reason, the spell didn't effect Nina. Suddenly, the woman was again surrounded by a hot white light, and turned into her Dragon form. She said, "Nothing will ever separate me from Ryu again. There's no way I'm going to forget him again, and I won't allow my parents to control my life."  
  
Myria shook her head. "Then, I guess you can stay here as a Dragon, and live out your life in this little enclosure. It is what is best for the world anyway, what if you awoke and did something foolish?"  
  
"But she will not, Myria," a new voice commented, "You think too little of the Dragons. Although you stopped the desert from consuming the world after Death Evans scarred it, you are still supposed to be working to guard the world, not playing police officer to the Dragon Clans."  
  
"Yggdrasil! How can you be here, you're just a tree?" Myria inquired.  
  
Peco told her, "Some of my sap was used in an experiment at the Plant in Wyndia. Many mutants were created with my powers on accident. This here is one of those mutants. Now, I must allow Ryu to chose, should he fight you, or should he and his people stay here for eternity?"  
  
Myria was unnerved. "But if I die, the desert will consume the planet again. Are you going to take that risk, Ryu? People can't survive on their own if something like this was to happen."  
  
"I believe in the power of humanity," Ryu stated, "If I didn't, Fou Lou would have consumed me back when I was first sent into this world. We're going to fight you, to prove that point."  
  
With that, Rei, Momo, and Garr appeared again. They all wondered how they had gotten back to the Station Myria in an instant. Why had the goddess seen it fit to bring them back?  
  
"This is a battle between me and the Dragons. But if they insist, you can all watch the fight as well. Choose your party wisely, your majesty. I would like four to battle with me. That was how it was in the times where I existed, none of this three people only junk," she said.  
  
Ryu informed his crew, "I want Nina, Helen, and Teepo to battle alongside me. This is the best bet I have for victory. After all, we're the heirs to Infinity. Ready your weapons, this is the final battle."  
  
Nina pulled out her wand. Ryu and Teepo brandished their swords. Helen grabbed her Ax. Together, they stepped forward, ready for battle. Everyone else headed for a safe spot to watch.  
  
Myria looked at them. "Foolish Dragons, you could have lived on in this little room of mine. But if you insist on fighting against me, you will die by my hands."  
  
"The world has no more need for you," Ryu yelled, "We can make a future on our own. If we have to fight to prove that, then so be it. Ready everyone, CHARGE!"  
  
- - - -  
  
All the fun of pre-battle scenes. Teefa85 Productions Style. 


	21. Goddess vs Dragons

Goddess vs. Dragons  
  
But before Ryu, Nina, Teepo, and Helen could rush forward, Myria raised her hand. She then cast a spell that they'd never seen before. The room around them seemed to distort, as if they were being drawn into a void. When the air cleared again, they found themselves in a futuristic room.  
  
"I do not need your powers accidentally ruining my perfect room," she told them, "One miscast spell, and I could have to build Eden all over again, recast the spells that keeps the Dragons calm when they're in it, and find some new species of bird and plant to place in it. I really don't need all of that work, I do enough with keeping the desert from destroying the world as it is."  
  
"Do you think I care? I just want to get this fight over with, so we can all go back to our regular lives. I've waited ten years for our people to regroup, and I'm not waiting any longer," Nina said.  
  
Myria raised her hand again. Now, the four found themselves on what appeared to be a falling platform, in a black void. The goddess reappeared as a giant woman with a huge multicolored snake tail. She had messy blond hair, and - - to Ryu and Teepo's amazement - - wasn't wearing a shirt.  
  
Nina groaned, "For shame, why doesn't she just parade around in her underwear or something?"  
  
Myria seemed insulted. "For that comment, you will be the first to die."  
  
Everyone took this as his or her cue to transform. Ryu became Kaiser, in which he looked just like himself, except his hair, eyes, and clothing was gold tinted. Teepo became Dragon Lord, which covered him in a black tint. And both Nina and Helen became Empresses, where they were colored with a silver tint. The reason they still looked human was that the power of Infinity was so strong, that if any person was in their Dragon bodies for more than a minute, they might go insane. The only thing that could counter keep a power like that in check, would be a spell cast by a god whose strength was at least that of Dies or Myria - - as they were only half gods, thus not as strong as Ladon. Thus, this safeguard had been added to the transformation, so they could only become dragons by using their Breath attacks.  
  
Ryu started the battle off with a Bonebreak. Helen used Ax Crusher, and Nina attacked with Magical Blast - - the Ax and Wand equivalents to Bonebreak. Since the Dark Dragon Infinity forms didn't contain a powerful interval attack, Teepo just used his Lordly Breath to take Dragon form. Once finished with their physical attacks, the other three used their breaths, Kaiser and Regal.  
  
But Myria wasn't out of the game yet. She cast her powerful Holocaust spell on all four Dragons. Without anyone to heal their wounds, they would be in a tough spot if she decided to cast it again.  
  
"Ryu!" exclaimed Nina, "We've got to attack her as one. I now understand what Dies meant when she told us that only the King and Queen could defeat the goddess. If we combine our Breath attacks, we can unleash enough power to blow her away with one shot."  
  
"Could you really? You know you might destroy the world in the process," Myria informed them. Nina stated, "We won't. I've said this since I was a small child, Ryu is a good Dragon. He will not destroy the world. And neither will I. Prepare yourself for your doom, Myria."  
  
At that moment, Ryu invoked the Kaiser Breath, and Nina attacked with Regal Breath. They hit her from either side, and Myria was caught in the crossfire. When the smoke cleared, they found Myria writhing in pain from the attack. She began to scream as she self-destructed.  
  
* * *  
  
The four found themselves in the technological chamber that she had originally teleported the group to. Everyone ran up to the victorious warriors, eager to hear their story. Teepo was trying to milk it out, over emphasizing his importance, but nobody believed him.  
  
Suddenly, an earthquake rocked the station. Garr stepped forward. "My time has come. I've seen how Myria ignored all the good in the Dragons, and started a war because of vengeance, using their power as an excuse. But now that my goddess has died, my life must end as well. Go, brave Brood warriors, go and make a future for yourselves." With that, he became stone.  
  
Everyone ran to escape before the station collapsed. There were some close shaves, like when Momo nearly fell off the side, and Rei grabbed her. Or the part where Selene and Justin tried to fight some monsters, instead of running from the collapsing ceiling, and had to be rescued by Ryu transforming into Kaiser and blasting the rocks before they hit the two justice freaks.  
  
Finally, they were back on the platform entrance. They just needed to get out of here. But, due to her awakening, Nina was unable to become the Great Bird anymore. Not that it would have helped, she couldn't carry eighteen people on her back at one time.  
  
"I've got an idea," Rei exclaimed, "We can escape on the backs of Tiamats." "And here I thought you were an idiot Rei," Momo joked.  
  
Rei quipped, "Watch it genius. I can beat you up with no problem at all."  
  
Momo raised her bazooka. "I'd like to see you try, fur face. I'll blow your head off right here and now if you try. A bazooka is much more powerful than one of your little knives."  
  
"That's enough," Nina yelled, "This is not the time and place. The station is going to explode at any time now, and all you two can think of is fighting. Escape now and argue later you two."  
  
So Ryu, Helen, Felina, Raven, and Nina transformed into Tiamats. With five Dragons to carry the remaining fourteen people, that would only equal two or three on one back. Momo, Rei, and Peco got on Ryu. Teepo, Casey, and Crest got on Helen. Garth, Lorelai, and Valindo got on Felina. Lumina, Ryan, and Sylvia got on Raven. Finally, Selene and Justin got on Nina. Then, the Tiamats took off.  
  
They flew high over the desert. Once they were a safe distance away from the blasts, the group turned around. Nineteen pairs of eyes watched as the station where their enemy once dwelt went up in flames, and slowly burned to the ground. At last, the Dragon Clans were safe.  
  
- - - -  
  
Final battle finished, check! Epilogue coming soon. 


	22. Freedragon

Freedragon  
  
"Ryu, land here," Peco requested, "As a part of the Yggdrasil, I think I can help save the world from the encroaching desert. I must plant myself in this soil, and grow into another great tree."  
  
"But Peco, haven't the other Yggdrasils failed to save the north continent?" Momo asked.  
  
Peco replied, "That is because none were planted in the Desert of Death. The ones in the southern half of the continent were able to keep it at bay as best they can, but without Myria, they will eventually fail. But if I can plant one in the area where the desert began, maybe I can begin to halt the sands. It will take some time though. So it is up to you to blaze the way to the future with the power of humanity. Oh, and Momo, you might want to check up on the situation at the Plant. You might find something that will lead to the discovery of why such mutants as myself exist."  
  
So they landed in the desert. There, Peco planted himself in the soil, hoping to grow into a giant Yggdrasil tree. And he eventually would, but not for a long time. In fact, it would be Ryu and Nina's great grandchildren who would eventually come across the tree while they were on an adventure.  
  
When they returned to Cedar Woods, the first creature they met was Demon, who hadn't been taken by Myria's spell. She had been whining for Casey ever since the Dragons had vanished, and ran right up to the group. Demon jumped on Casey, and gave her several slobbery kisses.  
  
The whole woods had begun to deteriorate after the death of Myria. Granted, the desert hadn't reached this far yet, but the trees were already dying. Ryu decided to get to work salvaging their hideout as best as they could. Luckily, both of the huts in the clearing - - one for men and one for women - - were on the ground level. So they just had to take apart the treehouse - - which was the place where Nina, Helen, and Teepo planned all of their endeavors - - and begin to rebuild it on the ground.  
  
Once that was over, they began to reformat the village. Nina houses were made, one for each couple. The two old dorms were turned into a kitchen, and a rec room. Many more trees had to be cut down to finish this project, but Nina and Ryu knew that they were all dying anyway. Better they be put to good use before the deterioration of the forest was complete.  
  
Rei took advantage of the situation even more than the others. He and Teepo began creating lumber and firewood out of the other dying trees, and started selling them in town for a hefty profit. For once, Bunyan didn't go ballistic over their little scheme. That's because he could see that the trees were all dying as well, and was happy for them deciding to do work for once.  
  
With all of the commotion coming from the forest, it wasn't a surprise that other people from the other towns were noticing the Dragons and their civilization. Rumors had begun to fly about the evils from the past rising up to destroy the world, and nature's slow death wasn't helping at all. Nina and Ryu had begun to try and calm everyone down, which was going surprisingly well. It helped to have friends from all four corners of the world, and having helped a great deal of them in the past.  
  
Once the excitement had settled down, Ryu decided to check up on what Peco had told Momo. Sure enough, they found Pallet of the Plant holed up in an underground laboratory, working on some sort of experiment to revive his mother with Yggdrasil sap. Momo learned about how her father had wanted to revive her mother as well, but his morals caused him to abandon the whole plan. When Pallet wouldn't listen to reason, the group was forced to defeat him in battle instead. After he was defeated, they shut off the machines, thus ending the accidental creation of mutants once and for all.  
  
One year after the final battle, the desert finally made it over the sea. The world was beginning to look just like it did when the King and Queen first arrived, desolate with little hope for any greenery to grow. But the power of humanity came to life in these trying times, as it often does. People who formerly hated one another were working together for a better future. They tried to grow plants wherever they could find water, or could easily get to them to take care of them. Some places began to house greenery again. But these were rare, as civilization didn't exist in too many places. Not that it discouraged anyone, they just were going to have to slowly more outward from their settlements and keep on planting.  
  
* * *  
  
When Ryu woke up one morning, he was surprised to see a group of Winged Clansmen in front of the village. All of them had heard about Momo's experiments to revitalize their wings, and were eager to be the first she would test on. None of them knew that Nina had already tested the potion for them, or that their princess was currently in the village in the body of a Light Dragon.  
  
She shook their hands as they took the potion. "No need to pay me. I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart. Certainly, with all of the problems existing nowadays, you all might be glad to have your wings and your Great Bird transformations back."  
  
"Thank you miss," one man said, "This is a great thing you have done."  
  
So the Winged Clan got its wings back. They also had a new heir to the throne, after Nina's "death", Queen Shiela had gone almost fanatical trying to get pregnant. So Nina had a little brother named Elliot, who was only five when she fought with Myria. The two met many years later, after Elliot was king, and he wanted to set up trade agreements between their two clans. But he never found out who she really was, he wouldn't believe her if she told him.  
  
Although much hardship followed the group, it was considered to be the Golden Age of the Brood. With each Dragon's different personality, a quick advancement in their civilization began. They became one clan again, as intermarriage between Dark and Light Dragons became common. So the only thing left to determine which type a person was, would be their magic type. If you were born with Healing powers, you were a Light Dragon. But if you were born with Attack magic, you were a Dark Dragon. It was even common for two Light Dragons to have a Dark Dragon child or vice versa.  
  
Ryu and Nina thought that they would finally be able to live out their lives in peace. After all, all the enemies of the Brood were eradicated, so there was no longer any need for them to be reborn to fight again. Well, it's true that they got to finally get a break, but their substitutes in the next war would be quite zany indeed. But, that's for another story.  
  
- - - -  
  
Nothing much going on around here, just thank people. First, to Capcom for making this cool game. Then, to the variety sites that got me thinking about trying it. Next, to all the FAQs I consulted for spelling, and the spell lists that I based the Clan spells on. 


End file.
